Time's Up!
by WickedlyAwesomeMe
Summary: Draco Malfoy killed Hermione Granger. But surprisingly, she was given a chance to prove that she still has to live. And so, she went back into the year 1990 to change a boy's cold heart... for 3 weeks only! Dramione! R and R!
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Time's Up!**  
Author: **2booklover4**  
Language: **English  
**Verb Tense: **Narrative past tense; Dialogues in present tense, okay?  
**Form: **W/ Chapters**  
Genre: **Romance and Slight Humor (if you ask me)**  
Rating: **T (for some inappropriate language)**  
Ship: **Draco/Hermione**  
Summary: **Draco Malfoy killed Hermione Granger. But surprisingly, she was given a chance to prove that she still has to live. And so, she went back into the year 1990 to change a boy's cold heart... for three weeks only! Dramione! R and R!

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**Disclaimer: Not mine. Not yours. Only JK Rowling's.**

**A/N: Hiya, readers! Here's another story by yours truly. I hope you'll enjoy it. Hugs and kisses to you all. And of course, after reading, review! **

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**Oh Merlin!**

_  
May 22, 1998_

Hell broke loose. That's what Hermione Granger could describe the state of Hogwarts right now.

Death Eaters plus Lord Voldemort attacked Hogwarts unexpectedly, to everyone's horror. And so, Professor McGonagall (the new Headmistress since Professor Dumbledore's death) ordered Professor Flitwick (the Charms teacher) to gather all those who were still young to fight or students who were afraid to fight in the Great Hall and keep them until the battle outside ends. Others who would like to fight and were capable to, like Hermione, were all outside and battled with Death Eaters. Lord Voldemort was nowhere to be seen but Hermione has a great feeling he was watching the gruesome battle like a Muggle watching a war movie.

Hermione contorted her face in disgust and hatred. Thinking about this particular vile wizard made her stomach churn in anger. He caused all of these. He's the reason why her best friend (and their hopeful hero, according to the Wizarding World), Harry Potter, was suffering. He's the reason why she was supporting one injured arm and frantically finding her wand that fell on the ground. He's the reason why many families lost some of their family members. He's the reason for this pandemonium. Hermione knew that wishing someone was dead was not good but she couldn't help but wish that this evil wizard should die already. And she knew she's not the only one wishing this.

The brunette sighed in frustration because she still couldn't see her precious wand. She knew it was hard to find her wand. Lifeless bodies and blood were scattered all around the ground, for crying out loud! It would be really hard to find it.

She continued to grope for her wand on the ground. Relief flowed through her body once she had spotted it a few feet away from where she was standing a while ago. She sighed and bent down to reach for it but she didn't have the chance to clutch it when a foot stepped on it. Hermione froze.

'_Oh great,' _she softly groaned. _'He might be a Death Eater who is ready to kill me.' _Hermione slowly straightened herself and stared at the person stepping on her wand. Her brown eyes met his silver eyes. He was Draco Malfoy.

"Malfoy," she said harshly. "Move your foot."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Draco said, his sickening smirk plastered on his face. "Defenseless are we, Granger?"

"Malfoy. Move. Your. Foot," Hermione ordered through gritted teeth. She was clenching her fist and mustered all of her will power not to punch the smirking boy in front of her now.

"No, Granger. I won't," he said, his smirk growing.

Hermione sighed and closed her eyes, feeling that a headache was starting to form. Oh, honestly, how did she develop some feelings for this stupid blond in front of her, anyway? Yes, breaking news, Hermione Granger liked Draco Malfoy. The brunette was still confused if it was only a silly school crush or… something more. But really, how did she develop some feelings for him – for Draco Malfoy? He was annoying. He was arrogant. He was stupid. He was a jerk. He was an insufferable ferret. He was a Malfoy. He was everything Hermione should hate but in the end… she liked him. Oh, goodness, she liked him… _a lot_. Maybe she really had a bad taste in choosing the guys she had to like. She's not saying that Draco Malfoy was ugly – oh damn he's bloody _hot_. But still… he's annoying.

The brunette then opened her eyes and regretted she did. Draco was already nonchalantly pointing his wand at her… at her heart. Hermione groaned again. _'This is great! My life becomes better and better,' _she thought sarcastically. God really hated her.

"Don't point that wand at me, Malfoy!" Hermione exclaimed. As much as she would like to hide it, she was afraid. Draco hated her very, very much so she knew he wouldn't hesitate to hex her mercilessly or worse – kill her. Oh, if only she had her wand. She eyed it, still under Draco's foot. He was stepping on it very hard and Hermione's eyes widened when _snap_, it broke. _'My baby!' _she thought, almost close to tears. She felt vulnerable now. Very, very vulnerable. "You broke my wand, Malfoy!" she exclaimed, almost hysterical. "I swear to Merlin Malfoy I'll… I'll… I'll…"

"You'll what?" Draco asked, challenging. "Hex me? Kill me? Well, bad news, Granger. I broke your wand. You can't do anything to me."

Hermione clenched her fists to the point that her knuckles were turning white already. The urge of punching him was growing and growing. _'All right, all right! I'll punch him!' _she told her itching right fist. She slowly raised it and Draco watched, amused (he didn't know what she'd do). She swung her fist back to gain power and enjoyably watched as Draco's eyes enlarged when he realized what Hermione would do. Merlin should forbid her but Draco looked absolutely adorable.

_WHAM!_

She had hit him. _'Hmm… that felt nice,' _she thought. "I may not have my wand but I still have my fists, Malfoy," Hermione firmly said, feeling slightly victorious.

"How dare you, Granger!" he hissed dangerously, one hand gripping his wand tighter and pointing it at Hermione's heart while the other was nursing his smarting cheek. "How dare you do that to me again! No one had ever dared to punch me, Granger. No one."

"But I'm different from them, Malfoy, remember that," Hermione said, slightly smirking.

Draco softly growled and now pressed his wand against Hermione's chest where her heart was. He smirked as the brunette's own smirk instantly faded and fear was now etched on her pale face. "But Granger, you can't kill me with your bare fists only."

Hermione gulped. He was right. No matter how hard Hermione punched his face, Draco Malfoy had a hard face. She knew her punches couldn't kill him. She could injure him badly, yes, but it was very impossible to kill him.

"Any last words, Granger?" Draco asked. "Because I might kill you right now."

The brunette managed to glare even though she was feeling afraid. She slowly looked around, praying to see Harry's face or Ron's. She just wanted to see both of her best friends before Death escorted her. But it was impossible to see them. It was almost dark anyway. She couldn't see her best friends anymore. Hot tears started to form at the corners of her eyes. _'Oh, not now. Go away you tears!' _Hermione angrily thought. She didn't want Draco Malfoy to see her cry. But too late, he saw one lone tear sliding down her face.

"Afraid, Granger?" he whispered, sounding rude. Or so Hermione thought because there was something in his tone that puzzled her. She stared at his eyes and saw something. But, what was it? She didn't know. Hermione silently grumbled. She hated it when she was clueless.

"I'm not afraid," Hermione said, trying to sound firm but failed. Her words escaped from her mouth in a shaky whisper.

A small smirk formed in Draco's lips. "Again, Granger. Any last words?"

"I. Hate. You," Hermione said, enunciating every word. Of course it was a lie. She liked him, all right. But right now, she just couldn't help but feel hatred towards Draco Malfoy. She closed her eyes, waiting for him to say those two bloody words. Oh, Good Lord, her life really stunk. Here she was, defenseless and was about to be killed by the man she fancied! Her life really, really stunk.

Was her ears just deceiving her or did she really hear Draco Malfoy releasing a heavy sigh? What? Was he debating whether to kill her or not? Just thinking about that made her want to shout out loud because of hysteria. That was impossible. He would kill her without any hesitation. All right, he did hesitate in killing Professor Dumbledore but still… this time it was about her. He hated her. Hermione knew that and she just hated herself she didn't feel the same way for the Slytherin jerk. But why did he release a heavy sigh? Maybe he didn't like to kill her because… he will lose someone who can intellectually argue with him. Yes, that was a good reason!

"_Avada… Kedavra._"

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Hermione immediately opened her eyes and regretted it. She immediately shut them, silently cursing the bright light. She slowly opened her eyes again, adjusting her eyes. Oh goodness, why was it very bright? Hermione froze. This was not the battlefield.

The brunette frantically looked everywhere but all she could see was white light. Was this what they call heaven? Hermione started to walk, still looking from left to right. If this was heaven then shouldn't she see angels welcoming her with their harps playing for her? But no. There were no angels holding golden harps. Then where was she? Was she in hell? Hermione grimaced. If she was in hell, then shouldn't everything be burning because of hot fire?

Hermione sighed. Here she was again, utterly clueless. Giving up, Hermione didn't continue contemplating where she was right now. She continued to walk and walk, amused and confused that her feet hadn't hurt even though she already walked for a long time. If Hermione was given a choice, she would gladly go back to the pandemonium in Hogwarts rather than be here where she couldn't see anything except white light.

She squinted her eyes as she saw something materializing. The brunette presumed it was some kind of a desk. She walked quicker and quicker until she broke into a run. She was getting closer and closer to that 'desk'. She ran and ran and ran. She then noticed that a person was standing behind the desk, smiling warmly at her.

"Ah, Miss Granger, I've been waiting for your arrival," he said. Hermione looked at him curiously. The man was old, very, very old. His hair was long and white. His face and hands and any bare skin she could see were full of wrinkles. A white long beard was attached at the man's chin. At first, Hermione thought it was Professor Dumbledore (Draco Malfoy didn't kill him but Severus Snape did) but the brunette shook her head. This man didn't look like her old deceased Headmaster. Professor Dumbledore had electric blue eyes but this man in front of her had emerald eyes resembling Harry's. So, she called him by the first name that came into her mind.

"G – God?" she whispered, amused that maybe the man in front of her right now was none other than our Creator. But surprisingly, the old man burst into fits of chuckles.

"God?" he asked. "Goodness, Miss Granger, I may be known but I am definitely not God."

Hermione looked confused. "Well… umm… sir, if you are not God, then who are you? I mean, everything's white so I presumed I'm in heaven right now. I was shot by the Killing Curse, you see (_'by the boy I like'_) so this is definitely not hell. But, I think this is not heaven either because… well… if this is heaven, shouldn't angels welcome me to the Kingdom of God? So, Mister, I'll ask again. Who are you?"

The old man looked at Hermione with amusement. "Albus is right. You really are a very intelligent young witch."

"You… you know Professor Dumbledore?" Hermione asked.

"Of course!" he said. "We are friends."

"Mister, you still haven't answered my question," the brunette said, now slightly feeling impatient. "Who really are you?"

He smiled. "No need to get impatient, Miss Granger."

Hermione frowned.

"Let's have a small guessing game," the old man said. "I'll give you three chances and if you still haven't guessed who I am, then I'll tell you."

Her frown deepened but guessed, anyway. "Are you Harry's great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-and hundreds of great-grandfather? You have the same color of eyes, you know."

He simply shook his head. "No, Miss Granger. Two more chances."

"Are you then the great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather of my neighbor?" she stupidly answered. She honestly didn't know what to answer right now.

He gave her an odd look. "Err… no. One more guess, Miss Granger."

Hermione sighed in frustration. "Oh Merlin, why don't you just tell me who you are?!"

The old man smiled at Hermione. "Well, Miss Granger, you already guess who I am."

"What?" the brunette asked, confused. For goodness' sake, this old man was playing some tricks on her.

"You said my name, Miss Granger," he said. "You're intelligent. You know who I am."

Hermione frowned and contemplated. Suddenly, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "Me – Merlin?"

The old man (which really was the one and only, Merlin) smiled and nodded. "Yes, I am Merlin."

"Oh, Good God, I'm talking right now to Merlin!" Hermione exclaimed her thoughts out loud, suddenly breaking into a grin. She then looked at the greatest wizard in history. "I always wanted to see you, Mister Merlin, but I never expected that I would see you right now here in this… in this…" Hermione then frowned again. "Where exactly are we? Heaven? Hell? Or somewhere else?"

"We are definitely not in hell, Miss Granger," Merlin said, softly chuckling. "And we are not also in heaven, though, we are close to there already."

"So you mean to see we are neither in heaven or hell?" the brunette asked. Merlin nodded for his answer. "Then, where are we?"

"Well, actually we don't call this place anything," the wizard explained. "We are in between heaven and earth, by the way."

"I'm dead, right?" Hermione asked, suddenly realization dawning on her. "I… I was killed by Draco Malfoy in the battle in Hogwarts. So, it means I'm dead."

Merlin smiled. "Yes."

Hermione whimpered. "I'm dead… I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead. Oh, God! I'm dead."

"Miss Granger, understand that you are already a soul," Merlin said. "So, it does mean that you are dead."

"But… but I'm too young to die!" Hermione blurted out. "What about my friends… my parents?! How will they react now that Hermione Granger is dead?!" She then looked at Merlin. "Are you here to escort me to heaven or," – she obviously gulped – "hell?"

"Oh, good heavens, no," Merlin said, shaking his head. "Though we are already close to the stairway to heaven or escalator to heaven or elevator to heaven."

Hermione knitted her brows together. "There's an escalator and elevator towards heaven?"

"Of course!" the old man answered. "The world is not the only one that is being modernized, Miss Granger. So does heaven. And hell, too. I heard that they already have the ability to regulate the heat. Then can regulate if they want hell to be hot, very hot, very, very hot, burning hot, sizzling hot, etc…"

'_Oh cool,' _Hermione thought, amused. But then, she remembered her predicament. "So… where will I go, Merlin? Heaven or... I hope not… hell?"

"You will go to neither heaven nor hell, Miss Granger. Don't worry," Merlin consoled her.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, good news," Merlin said with a grin on his face. "It's not yet your time to die. It's too early, Miss Granger. In fact, I'll spoil it to you already, you will die because of old age."

"Really?" Hermione asked, thrilled to know that she would die because of old age and not because of a terrible accident or a deadly disease. "Then, why am I here? I was hit by the Killing Curse."

Merlin sighed. "Alas, someone messed up with Fate. Her files were messed up, you know. That's the reason why you are here right now when you are not supposed to."

"Fate?" Hermione asked. "Fate's a person?"

"Not really a person or an angel. But they take the form of a human, though, more beautiful," Merlin explained. "They can't also be considered as gods and goddesses."

"They?"

"Yes, they," Merlin answered. "Love, Peace, Joy… they all take the form of a human. Love, Peace and Joy takes the form of a female human while Bravery and Death takes the form of a male. Fate has a twin sister, Destiny."

"Fate? Destiny? Aren't they the same?" Hermione asked, confused.

"Oh, no, Miss Granger, they are different from each other," Merlin said.

"Okay," Hermione said, though, still confused.

"Anyway, we only discovered that someone messed up with Fate's files when you died earlier than the exact date of your death," Merlin said, frowning. "We all know this is bad."

"So… what will happen to me, then?" Hermione inquired.

"Good question, Miss Granger," Merlin said, now smiling. "There is still a way for you to live but, you need to accomplish a task."

"A task?" Hermione asked again. Goodness, it seemed like she was asking many questions to Merlin already.

"Yes, a task, Miss Granger," Merlin said. "Once you accomplished this, you will live again."

Hermione frowned. "Is the task easy?"

Merlin shrugged. "It depends in your opinion, Miss Granger. But I think it would be quite hard."

The brunette bit her bottom lip which meant she was in a deep thought. _'Okay, Merlin told me I can still live once I accomplish a task – a hard task, actually. But it won't hurt to try, right? If I accomplished this task then I'll live! I still want to live, all right! I'm too young to die!'_

"What… what if I failed this particular task?" she asked.

Merlin sighed. "Then I'm sorry to say that you can't live anymore, Miss Granger. You will be… dead."

Hermione cringed at the mention of the word 'dead'. She didn't want to die, yet. So, feeling very determined, she answered, "All right, Merlin, sir, I will accept this task."

The old wizard sighed and smiled again. "Good," he said.

"Now, what is this task?" she questioned.

"Miss Granger," Merlin started. "You will go back into time and change a nine-year-old, almost ten, boy's heart. If you succeeded, then you will live. If not, then you'll die. Oh, and by the way, you are only given three weeks to change his heart."

"Three weeks!" Hermione exclaimed. "But… isn't that enough to change a person's heart? I mean, sometimes it takes months… years…"

"Yes, I know, Miss Granger," Merlin said, nodding. "But you really are given three weeks. I apologize."

Hermione sighed. "All right, three weeks, two weeks, I don't care. All I want is to live again. All I want is to see my friends and my family."

"That's the spirit," Merlin said, smiling.

"So, whose heart will I change?" Hermione asked, anticipating Merlin's answer.

Merlin looked at her with a mysterious glint in his eyes. "Why, of course your murderer's heart, Miss Granger!"

Hermione stared at him, not believing what he had said.

"Draco… Malfoy?"

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**Review! I'll appreciate it! **

**Love,  
2booklover4**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Not mine. Not yours. Only JK Rowling's.**

**Read and Review, plz.**

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**Messed Up Fate**

"_Draco… Malfoy?"_

Hermione's question hung between her and Merlin. She had to go back to time to change Draco Malfoy's stupid heart and if she succeeded, she would live. Change Draco's heart? Just thinking about it made Hermione frown. There was no way she could change his heart. He had a cold heart ever since birth and melting it was bloody hard. Well, she really wasn't sure if Draco had a cold heart since birth or he was sweet like any other child when he was little but Hermione still presumed the former. He grew up with Lucius Malfoy anyway and that was enough to presume that he had a cold heart ever since he was little.

Merlin watched the musing brunette in amusement. He watched as her emotions change from this to that. He couldn't understand why. When he said that Hermione would change her murderer's heart in order to live again, the brunette looked hesitant. She looked like she didn't want to change Draco Malfoy. But, wouldn't that be a bit easy for her because Fate told him she had…

"Are you sure I need to change Draco Malfoy's heart?" Hermione asked, snapping Merlin out of his reverie. "I mean, I quite understand why I need to change his heart. If I did, there will be a possibility that he won't kill me on the battle itself…"

"Very clever, Miss Granger," Merlin said. "That's really the reason why you have to change him."

"… but, what I don't understand is why _I_ have to change his heart?" Hermione continued. "I mean, my entire 7 years in Hogwarts, I knew that there is a possibility that Malfoy will become one of the Death Eaters and will kill someone someday. Unfortunately, I'm the one who was killed. So, why do I have to change his heart when he's destined to become a murderer?"

"Because he isn't destined to become one," Merlin simply said. "Mister Malfoy shouldn't be a Death Eater. He shouldn't be a murderer. In fact, he is in your side – in the light side. Fate already decided what will happen to him even before he was born in Earth but like what I've told you earlier, someone messed up with the files of Fate… someone messed up with Draco Malfoy's files resulting in a drastic change in his life. If someone changes a part of his life and will greatly affect him, there's a big possibility he will turn out what Fate wants him to really be."

"You see, Miss Granger," Merlin continued. "Draco Malfoy's father, Lucius Malfoy, should be imprisoned in Azkaban and should receive the Dementor's Kiss when his son was still 10-years-old because, well, the Ministry had found out he was a Death Eater. But Mister Draco Malfoy's file was messed up, resulting for his father to still be alive and continue to control his life. Mister Malfoy ended up being a murderer when he shouldn't really be."

"Like what I've told you earlier, Lucius Malfoy was arrested because the Ministry found out that he was a Death Eater, one of the most loyal ones, actually. Fate and I thought of making the Ministry know about this by reporting him to the Ministry by one of his family members and we chose Draco Malfoy. And that's your task, Miss Granger. You have to persuade this boy to tell the Ministry that his father is a Death Eater. Then, there's a big possibility his life would change... and so does his heart. If he did report his father to the Ministry of Magic, then you accomplished your task," Merlin finished.

"Wait, wait, wait," Hermione said, utterly confused. "You mean to say Draco Malfoy is one of us. If no one messed up with Fate then… Malfoy will be good?"

Merlin nodded. "Exactly, Miss Granger."

Hermione burst out in laughter. Merlin, startled at the brunette's sudden emotion, frowned.

"But that's… that's… preposterous!" Hermione exclaimed. "Malfoy is _never _good. Malfoy will _never _be good. He's evil and annoying! He tortures innocent 1st years! He hates Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs because he always thinks we are lower than Slytherins… that we are _scumbags._ He hates… he hates Mudbloods like me!" _'But despite all of those negative things about him, I still like him so much and it is driving me crazy!'_

The old wizard stared at her in amusement. Fate clearly told him about Hermione's 'special' feelings for her murderer. Shouldn't she say positive things about the person she liked? But the brunette in front of him was exclaiming things that weren't positive at all. He shrugged. Well, maybe she was just angry the person she liked ended her life.

"I'm sorry, Merlin, sir, but I think I will rather die than change Draco Malfoy's heart," Hermione stated with conviction, crossing her arms.

Merlin really, really was confused right now. "I'm sorry but I'm utterly confused right now, Miss Granger. I thought that you will accept this task because you have special feelings for Draco Malfoy. Fate personally told me about this matter but your reaction about your task of changing his heart is saying the contrary."

Hermione stared at him, dumbstruck. _'They know… Oh Good God, they know! Both him and Fate! But, how? How?!' _she frantically thought, feeling herself blush furiously. Hermione mentally kicked herself. Of course they know especially Fate! Hermione bit her bottom lip which has another meaning – she's greatly embarrassed. "That… that's not true! I don't have special feelings for that jerk!" she lied in exclamation. There was no way she would admit to anyone that she liked Draco bloody Malfoy. Just admitting it to herself made her feel stupid so there was no way she would tell anyone.

Merlin shook his head. He pressed his wand (which magically materialized) at Hermione's heart, greatly startling her. "But your heart says otherwise, Miss Granger. You can't lie to your own heart. You know that."

Hermione bit her bottom lip harder. Merlin really, really was intelligent. Sometimes, she really couldn't help but curse the intelligence of one person. Wanting to change the topic (desperately), Hermione said, "But why did you choose me, Merlin, sir? I mean, there are hundreds of millions of people in the whole world. Why did you choose me, then?"

The old wizard smiled. She was changing the topic. But, he answered her question anyway. "Well, Miss Granger, it's because of coincidence. Like what I've told you earlier, we just discovered that something's wrong with Mister Malfoy's fate when you died earlier than you should be. So, Fate and I thought that maybe you can fix his fate and live again."

She knew that was a reasonable answer. But, Hermione couldn't help but to frown. Merlin was biting back something. She just greatly felt it. "You're not telling me the whole truth, are you?"

Merlin sighed. She really was an intelligent witch. "Indeed, Miss Granger, I am not telling the whole truth," he said. There was no point in lying to her, anyway. She would discover it soon. He watched as she narrowed her eyes. "Miss Granger, please understand that I can't tell you the whole truth right now. I just can't. Fate requested me not to tell you until the last day of your three weeks. But I will tell you, all right. But not yet now."

Hermione sighed.

"Now, will you accept this task or not?" he asked.

She closed her eyes and released another sigh. Once she opened them, she stared straight at Merlin's eyes. "All right, I accept the task," she answered. There, she said it. There was no backing out already.

Merlin smiled. "Very good," he said. "Now, Miss Granger, I will bring you to the past. Exactly on May 23, 1990. Since your task will last for three weeks, then your task will exactly end on June 12, 1990."

"1990," Hermione thought. "I'm ten-years-old that time, Merlin, sir."

"Yes, Miss Granger, I know," Merlin said. "And Mister Malfoy is only 9 years old that time, though; he would turn to 10 soon."

Hermione nodded absentmindedly, not really listening. She was busy contemplating if she would survive those three weeks doing her task. But, she knew she would survive. She was an intelligent witch, anyway. If Draco Malfoy became too hard to handle, then she could use magic. But the problem was that same person broke her wand. Her eyes widened in horror and stared at Merlin. "But… but… I don't have my wand, Merlin, sir! You know, what if something bad happened to me? I don't have my wand! How will I protect myself?"

"Ah, do not be troubled," Merlin said with a small smile on his face. "I will be with you, Miss Granger, once you live in your temporary house."

"I have a temporary house?" Hermione asked.

"Of course!" he exclaimed. "Where will you stay? You need a house, you know."

Hermione nodded. "So you mean you'll stay with me?"

"No, not really, Miss Granger," Merlin explained. "I can't really stay with you the whole three weeks. I'm a very busy wizard, you see. But, if you need help, just call my name. I'll immediately appear. If something bad happened to you, I'll immediately know."

The brunette nodded again. "Are you sure the person I'll change is Draco Malfoy?"

Merlin sighed. "Miss Granger…"

"Yes, yes," Hermione said. "He's my murderer. In order for me to live, I should somehow change a part of his life that can greatly affect him and thus, he won't kill me then."

"Yes," Merlin said. "Are you ready now? I'll bring you to 1990 now."

"Are you really sure?" Hermione asked.

Merlin sighed again. She was delaying her time, he noticed. "Miss Granger, I think you are giving me the impression that you do now want to do this task," he said. "I'll ask you one last time. Do you want to do this task? You always have a choice, Miss Granger. You can choose to just be dead or do this task to live."

Hermione closed her eyes and groaned. "This is Draco Malfoy we are talking about, Merlin. If only you know how… how he acts in Hogwarts!"

"Oh, I do know, Miss Granger," Merlin said. "I promise I do know. He greatly amuses me, Miss Granger."

"Amuses you?!" Hermione exclaimed. "Do you think it amuses you that he tortures first years? Or… or torments my friends and me?!"

"No, I'm not amused by those, Miss Granger," Merlin said, a sly smile on his face. "I'm amused because no matter how many times he does boorish things, he still manages to make you like him. And you hate annoying and rude things, right? And Mister Malfoy is classified as one. I'm really confused why you like him. Well, he does have looks, anyway."

The brunette scowled with a very, very red face. "Merlin, why do you always push that topic? I like Draco Malfoy, all right! And I don't even know why! So, let's not talk about this… this ignorant prick, all right!"

Merlin nodded, smiling. The girl's love life in front of him was very interesting. "Remember; call me if you need me." He pointed his wand at a spot beside Hermione and conjured an old tin can. "That's a portkey with a time-turner attached to it," he explained, seeing Hermione's confused look. "It would transport you back to 1990 inside your temporary house. At the count of three, touch it and you'll already be there. Am I making myself clear?"

"Yes, Merlin," Hermione said, nodding.

"Good luck, then," he said. "I will start to count. One…"

Hermione neared her fingers towards the portkey plus time-turner thing.

"Two…"

She closed her eyes while still nearing her fingers towards it.

"And Three…," Merlin finished. But then, his eyes slightly enlarged. "Miss Granger, don't touch it fi – ah, too late." Hermione immediately disappeared. Merlin sighed. "Anyway, she'll just land a few miles away from her temporary house." And then, he smiled. "She'll land where Mister Malfoy is. I hope this little boy isn't inside his house right now."

* * *

_May 23, 1990_

Hermione immediately opened her eyes, slightly feeling nauseous because of her quick time traveling. Pressing her right palm against her throbbing forehead, Hermione slowly looked around, expecting to see that she was inside a small house. But, surprisingly, she was sitting on a pathway. Hermione groaned. It seemd like Merlin's portkey made a mistake. What if she was sent back into 1979 (the year when she was born) instead of year 1990?

The brunette looked around and then, her eyes landed on a small bench near a big bush. But, that was not what caught Hermione's eyes – it was the boy (Hermione presumed he was nine or ten years old) who was sitting on it, playing with sticks and leaves. Hermione's eyes widened. The boy had a shocking bright blond hair. And instantly, Hermione knew who he was. He was the one and only Draco Malfoy (though, he was younger).

She stared at him who was still oblivious that he had an audience. Hermione thought that he did look quite innocent that time. Oh, Good God, Hermione Granger thought that Draco Malfoy was innocent-looking! Hermione sucked in a breath, watching as he turned his head towards her. Brown eyes locked with silver. The brunette thought that he looked like the first time she had seen him in the Hogwarts Express. The look that she became attracted to…

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice slightly commanding and firm.

Hermione blinked, not really knowing what to say. She slowly approached him, her eyes not leaving the little boy. "Err… my name is Hermione."

"Are you a Muggle?" he asked, his eyes suddenly showing some slight fear as he looked from left to right. Hermione stared at him in confusion, not understanding why he was asking her that question.

"Err… no," she simply said.

"You are a witch?" he continued to ask. He was now looking slightly confused.

Hermione managed to crack a small. "Indeed, I am."

Now, the blond abandoned the sticks and leaves and now looked at the mysterious girl with wide eyes. "Are you a Muggle-born?"

She bit her bottom lip, slightly becoming panicky. _'Should I tell him I am?' _she asked herself. _'If I do tell him I am, maybe he wouldn't befriend me.' _"Umm… no."

"Are you sure?"

"For goodness' sake, Malfoy, I told you I am not a Muggle-born," she snapped. _'And he didn't call me Mudblood. Maybe he still doesn't know that an insult like that exists.'_

Draco's eyes widened. "You know my last name?"

Hermione groaned. Curses! "Err… who wouldn't? You are Draco Malfoy, right? Your family is well-known in the whole Wizarding World." There, that was a good answer. Sometimes, it really was good to be intelligent.

The blond still looked unconvinced. His eyes instantly narrowed. "What do you want from me?" He looked like he was ready to attack the teenager in front of him.

Hermione raised both of her hands in defense. "Umm… calm down. I'm not going to do anything to you," she said. "All I want is to ask you today's date."

Draco frowned but answered her question, anyway. "May 23, 1990."

She released a sigh of relief. So, she was in the right date but wrong place. Hermione couldn't believe Merlin's magic had gone awry. Or did he really did it intentionally…?

"Go on," Draco said, snapping the brunette out of her reverie.

"Go on? What do you mean?"

"You still want to tell me something," he said, pointing the obvious. "Right?" he added.

Hermione sighed. "Umm," she said, extending a rather shaky right hand. Draco stared at it with suspicion. "Can… can we be friends?" she asked, slightly hesitant.

His expression was blank so Hermione had no idea what he was thinking right now. And then, he answered.

"No," he simply said.

The brunette stared at him. Her jaw instantly became ajar. His answer was very simple but it had hit her like cold, biting water. Anger bubbled inside her body. How dare him! Here she was, hesitantly but trying to be friends with him. She knew Harry and Ron would go ballistic when they had discovered that their best friend was making friends with their archenemy! (They would go more ballistic if they had discovered that their best friend was harboring hidden desires for their archenemy ever since their 1st year). But Draco sodding Malfoy told her he couldn't be friends with her because… because… she didn't even know why!

Hermione forced herself to wear a smile on her face. "Why?" she asked, sounding a bit rude.

"I'm just obeying my father." he said. "I can't talk to strangers."

Of course! Hermione restrained herself from hitting her forehead. Of course! Draco was still young so it was normal if his parents – his father – warned him not to talk to strangers. Hermione was also warned by her parents when she was young. But still, he should had answered her in a more polite way.

"Oh," she said, slightly frowning.

The blond slightly smirked (the trademark of the Malfoys). "Disappointed that I ruined your plan?"

"Plan?" Hermione asked, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Are you disappointed that you can't pretend to be my friend and then earn my trust? After that, you will bring me to some spooky place and feed me to a dragon," Draco explained. "That's your plan, isn't it?"

Hermione stared at him, dumbstruck. She never knew that Draco had a wide imagination when he was still young. And then, she laughed. She laughed so hard her stomach ached and tears rolled down her eyes. "That's… that's the funniest thing I've ever heard!" she exclaimed, wiping her tears with her finger.

Draco frowned. "That's not your plan?"

The brunette shook her head vigorously. "Of course, not Malfoy! How did you come up with that?"

The blond deepened his frown. "Many wizards and witches already succeeded in doing those things, you know. One wizard managed to be my friend and in the end, he kidnapped me and asked for ransom from my father. My father didn't believe at first so the wizard almost beheaded me and fed my head to a hippogriff. Fortunately, someone saw me and saved me from that wizard. Ever since that day, I hardly trust anyone already."

Instantly, Hermione stopped laughing. She tried to get rid of the image of Draco Malfoy's head in between a hippogriff's teeth. The brunette shivered. "Oh, all right, Malfoy," she said, not believing what she had just heard. "I now understand why you came up with a thing like that."

"Why do you keep calling me 'Malfoy'?" the little boy inquired. "I have a name, you know. And my name's Draco."

"I know, Mal… err… Draco," she said. His name awkwardly escaped from her lips. Hermione wasn't used in calling him by his first name.

The blond nodded and then stood up. He then was about to walk away from the brunette.

"Wait, where are you going?" the brunette asked.

Draco stopped walking and turned to look at Hermione. "I need to go. My father is probably looking for me already." And then, he continued to walk.

"Wait, don't you really want to be my friend?"

The blond stopped again and looked at Hermione. "I told you I can't talk to strangers. Goodbye then, Hermione."

The brunette stared at his retreating back. He had called her by her first name! Hermione then frowned. "I'll do anything to be your friend, Draco! Anything!" she exclaimed. She just wanted to be his friend and then persuade him to imprison his father and then, voila! She would live again.

The blond stopped for the third time and when he looked at Hermione, a small smirk was plastered on his pale face. Hermione gulped, not liking the look on his face. "Anything?"

Hermione frowned but didn't answer.

"Then, in order for you to be my friend, you must give me things," he said, putting a thoughtful look on his face. "If one of them pleases me, then congratulations, I'll be your new friend. Deal?"

Hermione sighed. Typical Malfoy. "All right, deal."

"Good. Meet me here tomorrow at 10:00 am. Don't be late!" the little boy smirked and continued to walk away from Hermione back to his Manor.

The brunette sighed again and ran a hand through her hair. Oh Good Lord, befriending Malfoy was harder than she had thought. Well, what did she expect? It was Draco Malfoy, anyway. Hermione then turned around and walked to the opposite direction. With a groan, she had thought that maybe accomplishing the task would really challenge her.

As soon as Hermione walked to the opposite direction, Draco stopped for the fourth time and turned around. He stared at the retreating back of the new girl he had met and his smirk turned into a small smile. Many people had asked to be his friend but like what he had told Hermione (the name of the girl), some people only did that so that Draco could be their bait to get money from the Malfoys. But when this girl asked to be his friend, she seemed sincere and truthful.

He watched as she looked from left to right, seeming like she was lost. He placed his hands inside his pockets. No one had ever asked to be his friend sincerely, not even a beautiful person. And well, honestly, she was quite pretty.

The smile on his face turned back into being a smirk. This would be very interesting. He couldn't wait and see what she would give him tomorrow.

* * *

Hermione walked along the path, not really knowing where she would go. If only Merlin's magic didn't go wrong, maybe she would be in her temporary house, snuggled under the bed covers. She was very, very tired already, honestly. If only she could call for Merlin's help instead of finding the house by herself.

Oh, wait, she could.

"Merlin, I need your help," she said, trying to summon the great wizard. He told her that if she needed some help, she just had to call his name and then he would be there.

And she was right.

"Why have you called for me, Miss Granger?" a familiar voice asked.

Hermione whipped her head and there stood Merlin, his right hand clutching his wand with a smile on his face.

"Merlin, if you haven't noticed it already," Hermione started, "your magic made a mistake. You said the portkey plus time-turner would bring me back to the year 1990 inside _my _temporary house. But no, a slight mistake was made. Indeed, I'm brought back to the year 1990 but not inside my temporary house Instead, I appeared near a stupid 9-year-old boy, a.k.a. Draco Malfoy."

Merlin only chuckled. "I apologize, Miss Granger," he said. "Fate and I agreed to make two portkeys with time-turners. One would bring you back to the year 1990 inside your temporary house. And the other would bring you back to the year 1990 where Mister Malfoy currently was. Obviously, I accidentally conjured the latter when I told you that you would use the former."

"What if Malfoy was inside his house?" the brunette asked. "His parents might be there and they would see me."

"I know," Merlin said, "that's why I thought that you should use the former. But sorry for my slight mistake, I used the latter one."

Hermione sighed. "All right, you're forgiven."

Merlin smiled.

"Now, can you please bring me to my temporary house?" she asked. "I'm honestly tired already. I want some sleep."

The old wizard nodded and held Hermione's right arm. "I'll apparate you there." And with a soft pop, they disappeared.

When they appeared inside Hermione's temporary house, the brunette was surprised that this house greatly resembled her _real _house.

"This looks like my real house," she voiced out loud, looking everywhere. Yes, it definitely looked like her real house.

"Indeed it is, Miss Granger," Merlin said. "I made it just for you."

Hermione smiled. "Thank you, Merlin."

"Now, Miss Granger, I think you should take a rest now," he said. "Mister Malfoy looks like he would make things difficult for you tomorrow."

The brunette groaned and massaged her aching shoulder. "He would definitely make my day hell tomorrow."

"By the way, this temporary house of yours is near the bench where you had just met Mister Malfoy," Merlin said.

"How did you - ?"

"It doesn't matter, Miss Granger," Merlin said. "Now, remember, if you need my help, just call my name. I'll soon be there."

"I know, Merlin, I'll remember that," Hermione said, releasing a yawn.

The old wizard smiled and nodded. "All right then, goodbye, Miss Granger."

"Goodbye," Hermione said. With another soft pop, Merlin disappeared. Hermione released another yawn and with heavy feet, she walked towards her temporary-bedroom-that-looked-like-her-real-bedroom. The brunette released a sigh as she felt a huge wave of nostalgia. She missed her home already. With those thoughts muddled inside her brain, she flopped down on her bed and fell asleep immediately.

* * *

**Review, plz! xoxoxo 2booklover4**

**P.S. I'll try to post the new chapter of Princess in Disguise soon (PiD, for short). I'm sorry for the long wait**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Not mine. Not yours. Only JK Rowling's.**

**A/N: Read and Review and oh, enjoy reading! **

* * *

**Let's be Friends, you Spoiled Brat!**

_  
May 24, 1990_

Hermione woke up the next morning. As she looked around, her eyebrows slowly knitted together. The brunette frowned. Why was she in her bedroom? She clearly remembered that there was a war happening in Hogwarts. She clearly remembered that no one had won… yet. She clearly remembered she hadn't marched in the Great Hall with a beaming face, happy that she would graduate soon. She clearly remembered she hadn't made her Head Girl speech. And so did the Head Boy who was unfortunately, Draco bloody Malfoy. Her frown deepened.

She clearly remembered now.

She was dead, killed by the Killing Curse and it was all thanks to the Head Boy himself. And so, she went back into time in order to change the jerk's heart for three weeks.

Hermione made a face as she stood up to stretch a little. She remembered that she had to give something to win the little boy's heart today. The brunette sighed. _'This would be very, very hard,' _she thought as she went to the bathroom to take a warm bath. _'He is Malfoy, anyway.'_

Once she was finished and changed into new clothes (green turtleneck, blue jeans, and sneakers), the brunette went downstairs, feeling hungry. But as she neared her temporary kitchen, she froze. There were some clunking noises inside. Hermione presumed that someone might be messing up with the kitchen utensils. And the problem was, Hermione didn't know that someone. And worse, what if he was a thief? Hermione softly groaned. For crying out loud, she didn't have her wand!

Looking wildly around, Hermione spotted an umbrella. She immediately grabbed for it. She might as well use it as some defense if the thief thought of attacking her. The brunette braced herself as she slightly opened the kitchen door. The clunking noises were getting louder and louder. The brunette thought of some things to do to defend herself (like, with the usage of the umbrella tightly clutched on both of her hands, she would poke him where it hurts). Inhaling one last deep breath, Hermione kicked the door open, her umbrella ready to attack.

But once she had seen what was inside, her jaw dropped and so did the umbrella clutched by her hands. There, in front of her, was an amused Merlin who was just about to fill a glass with pumpkin juice.

"Miss Granger, what were you just doing with an umbrella awhile ago?" Merlin asked.

Hermione blushed but didn't answer the old wizard. Instead, she slightly glared at him. "You scared me, you know. I thought you were some thief."

Merlin chuckled making Hermione frown. "Miss Granger, I only made you breakfast."

The brunette averted her gaze away from the old wizard towards the scrumptious breakfast. Hermione's mouth instantly watered and embarrassingly, her stomach grumbled. Merlin chuckled again.

"Well, go eat now, Miss Granger," he said, sitting down on one of the kitchen chairs. "I believe you need a lot of energy today."

Hermione sighed. He was right. She did need to have a lot of energy today. Pleasing a younger Draco Malfoy looked like dating the Giant Squid. Wanting to get those thought out of her mind, Hermione sat down on one of the vacant chairs and started to eat. Good Lord, she was really, really famished. Merlin watched her intently, quite amused. And then, he watched as she abruptly stopped eating. Her brows slowly knitted together. Merlin sighed. He knew that look which means she would ask something.

And he was right.

"I was just wondering…," she started looking at the old wizard while peeling an orange. "I'm dead, right? And I'm not that daft to know that I won't eat and sleep anymore. But," she raised the already peeled orange, "I'm eating, quite a lot, actually, and I slept peacefully last night. Why do I eat and sleep and do what an alive human normally does when I know that I'm already a soul?"

Merlin smiled. "Perceptive," he complimented, slightly in awe. "Dumbledore is really right. He does have a very intelligent witch under his care. Well, before he died, actually." Merlin sighed and shook his head. "Shame, it's really quite sad to lose an intelligent witch like you." He sighed again.

Hermione slightly blushed at the old wizard's compliment. She was flattered. The brunette then cleared her throat. "You didn't answer my question, Merlin."

The old wizard smiled again. "Oh, well, Miss Granger, it's simple," he said. "Mister Malfoy sees you, you eat, you get hungry, you sleep, and you get tired. You all do things a normal human does. And that is because… you are a temporary human right now."

Realization dawned on Hermione.

"Fate and I agreed that in order for you to possibly accomplish your task successfully, you should of course be temporary alive," he said. "I think it won't be nice if you are a soul and will talk to Mister Malfoy. He might end up going to St. Mungo's instead of putting his father to Azkaban."

Hermione impishly smirked. She could already imagine if she talked to Draco Malfoy if she was a soul. She could already imagine him shrieking shrilly like a coward. Oh, hell, she could already imagine him in St. Mungo's having tea with Professor Lockhart (who, unfortunately, lost his memory) and talking about a soul wanting to have Professor Lockhart's autograph. Lockhart would of course be thrilled and really write an autograph for Malfoy's 'invisible' friend. Oh the joy!

The brunette burst into laughter as she thought of these things, making Merlin look at her with confusion and amusement.

"Miss Granger, are you all right?" Merlin asked, though there wasn't any hint of concern in his voice.

Hermione shook her head. "I'm all right…" – the brunette still slightly giggled – "I'm just glad to hear that I'm temporarily alive…"

"… for 3 weeks only," Merlin added. "After that, you can either continue being a human or a soul. It depends whether you succeeded in your task."

The brunette stopped laughing and groaned. "Which reminds me," she said, now looking at Merlin with a scowl on her face. "I need your help in winning Malfoy's friendship, Merlin. I think he'll give me a hard time today."

Merlin sighed and nodded. "I know you need help, Miss Granger," he said. "And by the way, it didn't seem like you had a peaceful sleep yesterday."

Hermione frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You were mumbling some… words. Interesting words," Merlin said, now a sly smile on his face.

The brunette softly groaned. She knew she did speak when she slept. "And what did I say?" _'I hope things that didn't embarrass me,' _she added in her thought.

"Oh, interesting words, very interesting," he started. "You mumbled how much you dislike Draco Malfoy…"

"… oh hell, I really do!"

"… You mumbled about how worried you are about the things that would happen on the next day, which is, today…"

"… oh goodness, I bloody am!"

"… And," he said, his sly smile growing.

"And what?" she asked, frowning at his smile. She lifted the glass of pumpkin juice to her lips and gulped its contents.

"And… you said you love him," he finished.

Hermione sprayed some pumpkin juice. Fortunately, Merlin jumped up immediately. He knew this would be her reaction. He watched in amusement as the brunette coughed and furiously dabbed a table napkin against her lips. "WH – WHAT?!"

"I said you mumbled you love him," Merlin said, still amused. "Really interesting, Miss Granger. You were mumbling some… let's say… profanities about Mister Malfoy. But in the end, you declared your love for him and then, there was silence."

Hermione blushed furiously and softly groaned. "You were watching me sleep?!"

Merlin smiled. "Indeed I was. I forgot to tell you about the fact that you are temporarily alive. But alas, you were asleep… and the rest was history."

The brunette groaned again and buried her head on her folded arms on the table. Oh for heavens' sake, she was utterly embarrassed. She cursed under her breath. She really hated it when some people heard her mumbling words in her sleep. She knew that sometimes she was mumbling her deepest and darkest secrets in her sleep even though she didn't hear them. Hermione knew Merlin wasn't lying at all. The old wizard's been honest with her from the very start.

Merlin chuckled. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about, Miss Granger. Even though you don't say it out loud, I know you do love him."

"I don't," Hermione said, wanting to sound firm and angry. Instead, she heard her voice sounding weak and defeated.

The old wizard smiled. "Whatever you say, Miss Granger. Whatever you say."

Hermione lifted her head and stared at Merlin's face. She still was as red as a tomato. "Can you just tell me if you will help me in winning Malfoy's friendship?"

Merlin sighed. She was desperate to change the topic again. The old wizard couldn't help but feel amused every time Hermione Granger desperately, as in _desperately_, tried to change the topic whenever they were talking about her feelings for Draco Malfoy. Merlin sighed again. He guessed she was just too shy to talk about it. "Of course, Miss Granger, I will help you."

The brunette nodded her head and managed to crack a small smile. "Err… thanks."

Merlin nodded his head and brandished his wand. Hermione eyed at it enviously. She missed holding her wand already. She watched as Merlin made a very complicated wand movement while mumbling some things, spells Hermione presumed, under his breath. And then, a body bag appeared on the table (Merlin cleared the food). It was colored a lighter shade of green.

The old wizard looked at Hermione with a small smile. "That body bag can help you, Miss Granger. Little Draco Malfoy begged you to give him some things that can please him so that you could be his friend…"

Hermione snorted obviously. Malfoy? Begged? Well, demanded was the right word. Draco Malfoy never begged and that was a fact.

Merlin ignored the brunette's snorting and continued. "This body bag," he pointed at the thing on the table, "can help you. Since you don't have a wand, you can't conjure things out of thin air and give it to Mister Malfoy. So, if you need things, just say what you need and rummage inside the body bag. You'll end up finding what you need inside it."

Hermione looked at it with awe. She grasped it and wore it around her body. "Wow, you used a very, very advanced magic." She made a mental note that if she lived again, she would study this particular complicated magic.

Merlin merely smiled for his answer. "But there's a limit, Miss Granger. You can only give him five things. After that, the magic will be gone."

"Oh," Hermione said, frowning. "I'll try to use them wisely." _'If Malfoy doesn't become so greedy and all,' _she continued in her thoughts, sighing.

"Good," he said. He looked at Hermione. "I think it will be best if you go now, Miss Granger. Mister Malfoy is impatiently waiting for you. I think he needs to attend some things after your short meeting with him."

The brunette looked surprised. "How did you know?"

Merlin smiled. "I can see things from above, Miss Granger."

"Oh, okay," Hermione said as she stood up from her seat. "Thanks again, Merlin."

"If something goes wrong, call out my name, Miss Granger. I'll immediately come," he said.

Hermione nodded. "All right, I will." And with a dull pop, Merlin disappeared. Hermione sighed as she slowly walked towards hell… a.k.a. the place where Draco Malfoy was waiting.

"I still can't believe I mumbled I love him."

* * *

Draco looked at his watch for the umpteenth time. He clearly told Hermione that she should meet with him same place at 10 in the morning. But the blond frowned. It was already 10:10 am. She was ten minutes late.

Draco sighed as he stared ahead, waiting for her arrival. The blond didn't know why but he was anticipating her arrival… he was anticipating the arrival of the pretty teenager. Draco sighed disbelievingly as a small smirk formed on his face. Good Lord, he kept on thinking how this teenaged girl looked so lovely and alluring yesterday. For goodness' sake, he was only nine (turning ten soon) but he had found this particular teenaged girl (probably sixteen or seventeen, he presumed) very attractive.

His smirk grew as he saw her coming towards their 'meeting place' as what he fondly called last night. She was wearing a green turtleneck with jeans. _'Beautiful,' _he mused as his eyes traveled to her face. She was frowning… at him. Draco couldn't help but smirk more. This would be a very interesting day for him.

"You're late," he said as she was a feet far from him.

"I know. You don't need to tell me," Hermione snapped.

"Getting angry will me won't help you in being my friend, you know," Draco said, though, still smirking. _'She's prettier when she's angry,' _he mused.

Hermione sighed as she furiously ran a hand through her hair. "All right, I'm sorry," she said, sounding a bit rude. Saying sorry to Malfoy was harder than saying sorry to Ron.

"All right, you're forgiven," he said. He then clasped his hands together, making him look more matured. "Now, I would just like to tell you that I don't have much time today. I have matters to do in my house. My father told me that there would be a family meeting, probably about my mother's birthday party." His silver orbs stared straight at Hermione's brown ones. "If you are going to give me something today, I think it would be best if you just give me two things. I'll see if one of them pleases me. If one will please, or maybe both, then I'll do my part of the deal. I'll accept your friendship."

Hermione gawked at him. She never heard a child like him talk… like that. The brunette was impressed. "Fine," she said.

"Now, you may start," he said, casually looking at his nails. Hermione rolled her eyes but bit back an insult forming in her mouth. If she wanted to be friends with Malfoy, it would be best if she wouldn't say any insults to this child.

The brunette contemplated at the things a boy would like. She really didn't know about these things because obviously, she was a girl. She remembered having boy playmates when she was young but they were very few.

'_Hmm… Malfoy's intelligent,' _she contemplated. Okay, she had admitted, Draco Malfoy was bloody brilliant. He was Head Boy and the second most intelligent student in Hogwarts. So, Hermione thought that maybe he would like the thing that she would give to him right now. She whispered it softly to the bag and rummaged inside it.

Draco curiously looked at the bag worn around Hermione but chose not to ask anything.

Hermione could already feel it, like what Merlin had said. With a smile, Hermione pulled it out of the bag. "Here's the first one," she said.

Draco looked at the thing that was on Hermione's hand. He stared at it for a long time before he looked up at Hermione with a frown. Hermione scowled, making his frown turn into the (in)famous Malfoy smirk.

"_Hogwarts: A History_?" he asked, his eyes quickly flickering from the book on Hermione's hands back to the teenaged girl. "Do you honestly think I would be pleased by that?"

Hermione deepened her scowl but didn't say anything.

His smirk grew. "For your information, we have a big library in the Malfoy Manor. And, actually, we already have hundreds of copies of _Hogwarts: A History _translated into different languages. So, you don't need to give me that book to add to our collection."

Hermione glared at the little boy.

"Now, give me the last one," he ordered. "I soon have to go home."

"All right, no need to be impatient," Hermione snapped, as she started to think again.

Draco secretly looked at her with a small smile on his pale, handsome face. He was enjoying in bossing Hermione around. Oh Merlin, he enjoyed making her angry with him because she was very entertaining when she gets angry and… well… she was quite pretty when she was angry as what he had thought a while ago.

Hermione's brows knitted together as she thought of other things that could please Malfoy. And then, an idea struck her as she remembered her Hogwarts days. She whispered what she needed to the body bag and rummaged inside it. She clutched a Chocolate Frog and pulled it out of her bag. She had always seen an owl delivering some sweets from home to Draco and he always bragged about it (a little loudly, actually). Maybe, this would please him. "Here," she said, throwing it to the little boy angrily, wishing he wouldn't catch it. But he did. _'Nice reflexes,' _she thought with heavy sarcasm. She watched as he casually opened the wrapper and took a bit of the chocolate. He was silent until he finished the whole chocolate. With an impatient sigh, Hermione asked, "Well?"

Draco shook his head. "Fat chance, Hermione," he said, the smirk finding its place back on his face. Hermione's heart skipped a bit when he had said her name without disgust and hatred accompanying it. "My parents already bought me a lot of sweets." He slightly frowned. "And besides, if you want to give me something that can please me, give me something that is not edible."

"Yes, sir," Hermione said, dripping with sarcasm.

The blond's smirked widened. "Very good," he said, his tone sounding like he was proud of his pet dog. Hermione glared at him.

"I'll get something again," she said, now putting another face of concentration.

"I only gave you two chances, Hermione," he reminded her. "I told you I need to leave early."

Hermione groaned. "Malfoy…" – the blond frowned and Hermione sighed – "Draco, one more chance!" The blond shook his head, teasing her. Hermione closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. When she opened them, Draco was surprised to see slight pain in her eyes. "Please?" she added.

The blond emotionlessly stared at her but inside, he was dumbstruck. No one had said 'please' to him before. And why did she look like she was having a hard time? Why did she look like it was very important to her if he became her friend? And, why oh why did she look so attractive with pleading eyes and slightly pouting lips? Draco slightly cleared his throat. "Tut, I really can't, Hermione. I really need to go now. My parents really need to see me now," he said. "But, you can still have some chances tomorrow," he immediately added when the brunette looked like she was close to crying.

The brunette sighed in relief. At least she still had a chance tomorrow. Tonight, she promised herself that she would think of other things to please a child. She needed to live, all right! "Fine," she said. "You can go now." She watched as slight hesitation showed on the blond's face but disappeared immediately. The brunette raised one eyebrow at what she had just seen. Maybe she was hallucinating.

"Goodbye then," he said and turned around. He had heard her soft 'goodbye' and her footsteps slowly becoming softer and softer as she walked farther and farther away from him.

Draco sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He was startled at what he had just seen in her eyes just a while ago.

And a small part of him, just a small part, thought that maybe he would pretend to be pleased at one of the things that Hermione would give to him tomorrow.

But sadly, it's just a small part of him.

* * *

_May 25, 1990_

Hermione was quickly walking towards their meeting place. As she arrived, Draco was already there, sitting on the bench. He was absentmindedly twirling a loose strand of his grey t-shirt. Hermione slightly grimaced at the color of his shirt. In their years in Hogwarts, the brunette always saw him wearing green, black, grey, or white. That was all. No other colors. But Hermione had to admit, those colors made him look… hotter.

The brunette blushed slightly as she nervously cleared her throat. Draco abruptly looked up and saw Hermione. He surveyed her from head to toe. She was wearing a blue sweater and jeans again. Her hair was tied up into a ponytail. The blond had to admit. She looked prettier in blue and when her hair was tied up.

"Wow, you're not late," he said with a smirk, receiving a glare from the brunette herself. "Now, give me the things you have to give me. I won't rush you but honestly, I rather do some things than this." Well, that was a pretty white lie. Draco was oddly excited in meeting her but he enjoyed seeing her becoming worked up again.

"Well, I'm sorry for stealing some of your precious time, Mister," Hermione snapped, face becoming red because of anger.

"Calm down," Draco said. "Like what I've told you yesterday, getting angry with me won't help you in becoming my friend."

Hermione closed her eyes and counted from one to ten, just to calm herself down. When she knew her anger was controlled already, she opened her eyes. "May I start?" she asked curtly.

"Go on," he said, not really sure why she was asking permission. He played with a stick, pretending it to be a wand as he secretly watched the thinking brunette.

Hermione thought of another thing to give to the… insolent boy. She thought about her boy playmates and the things they usual brought in her home to play with her (yes, sometimes Hermione played with toys boy usually played rather than playing with a doll). Another idea came into her mind as she whispered the thing to the magical bag. She rummaged inside and pulled out a toy car. Hermione grinned. When she was a child, boys couldn't bear to live without toy cars. Maybe Draco would be one of them, too. "Here," she said, a small confident smile on her face. But she frowned as she saw the look of confusion on his face.

"What is that?" he asked, eyeing the thing on Hermione's hand with slight confusion masking his interest.

Hermione frowned but answered him, anyway. "Why it's a toy car!" she exclaimed, still frowning.

Draco was still confused. "What's a car?" he asked, now obviously showing his interest.

The brunette slapped her forehead, startling the blond. Of course! She was talking to a Pureblood wizard. Those kinds of people wouldn't know what a toy car was… or a car, perhaps. Sighing, she placed it inside her bag again.

"Wait," he said, making Hermione stop. He walked towards Hermione and snatched the toy car away from her hand. He watched in interest as the black, small, circular thing under the toy car moved. The brunette smiled at his sudden interest of the Muggle toy. Hermione frowned. It was something Muggle so maybe Draco was forbidden to hold one.

"It's a Muggle toy," she said. She watched as Draco froze. And suddenly, he threw the car, hitting Hermione's right shoulder.

"Ouch," the brunette groaned as she massaged her aching shoulder. She glared at Draco who was now frantically wiping his hands with his clothes. "Why did you do that?!" she exclaimed, feeling slightly annoyed.

"I'm forbidden to hold a Muggle toy!" he exclaimed, suddenly glaring at Hermione. "You didn't tell me it was a Muggle toy!"

"Well, because you were obviously fascinated by that stuff," Hermione said, huffing. And then, a grin appeared on her face. Draco restrained himself from gaping at her. She looked more beautiful if she was smiling than pleading. "Wait, you were _fascinated _when I showed you the toy car," she said, flashing another dazzling smile. "I pleased you, didn't I?"

"Certainly not," Draco said, huffing, too. "You can't please me with Muggle toys."

Hermione glared at him and whispered some profanities, not wanting a child, not even Malfoy, to hear some curse words.

"Will you still give me something more?" Draco asked rudely, getting impatient.

Hermione rolled her eyes and started to think again. _'Honestly, this boy is getting under my nerves,' _she thought. She bit her lower lip, a habit she developed when she was deeply thinking. _'Hmm… I need to give him something that can please him _and _is something he isn't forbidden to have.' _An idea crossed her mind and the brunette slightly smiled. Maybe he would like this.

She whispered it at the magical bag. She rummaged inside it and pulled it out. The thing was a miniature dragon. It was magical, of course, because it was moving. It was often flapping his wings and breathing fire (not burning anything, though). She had thought about this because of his name, actually. Draco was the Latin word of Dragon. And so, she came up with this idea.

Draco looked at the live dragon on Hermione's hands. His eyes widened in interest but he didn't dare show it.

"Here," Hermione said, as she walked briskly towards the blond and grabbed his right hand, catching Draco off guard. She gently placed the dragon on his hand. Draco watched as it flew a little but he was more conscious of the fact that Hermione was still holding his wrist. He was relieved when she gently let go of it. "Do you like it now?"

Being the stubborn kid he was, Draco shook his head. Hermione frowned to Draco's glee, making him smirk. "Sorry, I don't," he said, really not sounding like he had meant it. "I apologize for disappointing you, Hermione, but I have a lot of these in my room. It doesn't please me now." A white lie again. He said another lie.

Hermione frowned. She was growing more panicky knowing that she only had one more try before the magic of the bag disappeared. And worse was that Hermione didn't know what she would give to the stubborn boy seated on the bench. Desperation was flooding inside Hermione's body so she thought of the first thing that came in her mind. She whispered it to the magical bag, rummaged inside, and pulled the thing. At least they were selling these things in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade.

Draco's eyes widened as he looked at the teddy bear clutched on both of Hermione's hands. The brunette wordlessly gave him the teddy bear (which he took, thankfully). She was eyeing him carefully.

Draco looked at the teddy bear on his hands. It stared back with beady eyes. The blond hated to admit it but he always wanted a teddy bear. Yes, he _wanted _a teddy bear. He felt the sudden envy when he saw some of the children in the Wizarding World clutching teddy bears on their hands with content smiles on their faces. He wanted to ask his father if he could have one but he was embarrassed to tell him. He knew Malfoys shouldn't own teddy bears. But, right on his hands was a teddy bear which was given to him by a beautiful stranger. He never received one like this. All he received were expensive things and this simple and inexpensive thing made him smile. He finally had a teddy bear.

Hermione's jaw slightly dropped at the actions the little blond was showing her. He was smiling. Goodness, smiling. The brunette's lips curled into a small smile. She never knew that a simple teddy bear could make Draco Malfoy happy.

"I see you are pleased," Hermione said, sounding triumphant. Ah, victory was sweet.

Draco's smile instantly disappeared as he looked at Hermione. "Of course not!" he said defensively.

The brunette's smile stayed on her face. "Yes you are," she said as she watched him turning red. Draco Malfoy was blushing. _'So cute,' _she absentmindedly thought as she softly chuckled. "You are pleased, Draco (she remembered to use his first name). Now, I think it would be fair if you do your part of the deal." She chuckled more because she still couldn't believe that a simple teddy bear could make him pleased.

The blond frowned. Yes, he couldn't deny. He was _pleased_. He always wanted a teddy bear, all right. Hermione knew he'd pleased already so there was no point in denying. And then, a plan formed in his mind. He slyly smiled at the brunette. "All right, you won."

"Yes!" Hermione exclaimed, feeling victorious.

"But," Draco said, his sly smile growing. He was now standing with his new teddy bear pressed against his chest tightly. "Only if you catch me!" he exclaimed and with that, he started to run away.

Hermione stared at him, dumbstruck. "Why you!" she exclaimed, coming back into her senses. She started to run after him.

They continued to run around. Draco's sweet laughter was heard. His laughter was very contagious, in her opinion, because Hermione found herself giggling under her breath.

"You run annoyingly slow, Hermione!" Draco said, his tone teasing. "Run faster! You can't catch me if you are as slow as a turtle!"

"Oh yeah?!" Hermione asked, challenging him. "You'll see!" And then, she ran faster, making Draco laugh louder. If Hermione was just watching him run like this with so much happiness, she would close her eyes. His laughter was like a sweet song. The brunette smiled. She was almost behind him. "I'm coming, Draco! I'm coming!"

Draco just laughed and continued to run, now a little faster. Hermione grinned.

But then, something happened. Vines started to erupt from the ground and wrap themselves around Hermione's right ankle. The brunette then tripped and fell on the ground with an ungraceful thud. She groaned as she rolled over so her back was now pressed against the ground. Her chest had hurt.

Draco had heard this and immediately ran towards the brunette. "Hermione, are you all right?" he asked, crouching beside her. His teddy bear sat on his lap. "Are you hurt?"

"What happened?" she asked as she slowly sat up. She looked at her right ankle and there she saw vines wrapped around it. Hermione's brows knitted together. _'How did this happen?' _she asked herself. She didn't have any wand so it was impossible for her to do that. Her eyes then landed on Draco with a worried face. Hermione sighed as she realized the answer to her question. Of course it was Draco's fault. He was so happy and excited he couldn't help but to use his accidental magic.

"Are you all right?" Draco asked again, worry evident in his voice.

"Yes, I'm fine, Draco. I promise," Hermione said as she untangled the vines from her right ankle.

"Well, she's all right, Mr. Beady. There's no need to worry," he told his new teddy bear. Hermione stared at him incredulously.

"Mr. Beady?" she asked. "You named your teddy bear Mr. Beady?"

Draco frowned. "Why, is that wrong? He does have beady eyes so I called him Mr. Beady, you know."

Hermione couldn't help but smile at his innocent answer. And then, Hermione remembered their great chase. She suddenly held his arm, firmly but gently. "Gotcha!" she exclaimed, chuckling as the little blond scowled. "Now I've got you, can we be friends now?"

Draco frowned again and looked at his teddy bear. "What do you think, Mr. Beady? Should we allow her to be our new friend?"

The brunette scowled. She was getting angry now. "Let's be friends, you spoiled brat!" she exclaimed. To her surprise, Draco burst into laughter. The same sweet laughter she had heard a while ago. "What?" she asked, trying to look confused.

"You're really funny, Hermione," Draco said, patting the brunette's head. "You're really interesting."

Hermione frowned. "You're not answering my question. Can we be friends now?"

Draco smiled a true smile. He faked a defeated sigh. "Do I have any choice?"

The brunette sighed in relief. "Finally!" the brunette exclaimed.

The blond grinned. "Are you really that desperate to be my friend?" he asked.

Hermione returned his grin. "No, of course not," she lied. "You just seem so lonely so I thought maybe I could be your friend."

Draco frowned. "You really think so?"

"What?"

"You really think I'm lonely?" he asked, still with a frown as he hugged Mr. Beady tighter.

Hermione stared at him. She remembered the first time he saw him when she went back to 1990. He was playing _alone_. He wasn't with someone. The brunette smiled and patted his head. "Yes, honestly you are," she answered as the blond frowned deeper. "But you aren't lonely now, right? I'm your friend already."

"You're forgetting someone," Draco said, now smiling.

"Who?"

"Mr. Beady," the blond simply said, smile growing. "Mr. Beady's my friend now, too."

Hermione chuckled and stood up. Draco followed.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," Draco suddenly said. "I need to go now. My parents might be looking for me already."

She smiled as she saw the disappointment on his face. She patted his head again. "It's okay with me."

"Hermione?" he innocently asked, looking at her with wide eyes.

"Yes, Draco?" she asked.

"Can I meet you in the same place tomorrow?" he asked, sounding hopeful. "In the same place, you know, with the bench. _Our _meeting place."

Hermione flashed him a brilliant smile. "Sure, Draco, no problem. What time should we meet?" she asked.

"After lunch would be all right," Draco mused. "I can go back before dinner. My parents wouldn't be at home for three days, you know."

"All right," she nodded. "I'll meet you in our meeting place at exactly 1 pm."

"That sounds fine," Draco said. "Goodbye then."

"Goodbye," Hermione said and watched as the blond went back to his house. Hermione turned around and went back to her temporary house, too.

She can only think of one word right now.

Success!

* * *

"I see you managed to make Mister Malfoy your friend, Miss Granger," Merlin said as he watched the blissful brunette eating dinner.

"Yes," was her only answer. She finished her pumpkin juice and stood up. "I'll go to bed now, Merlin. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Miss Granger," he said and watched as she happily went to her own bedroom to sleep. Once she was gone, Merlin smiled. "This is getting interesting," he mused out loud. He stood up. He flicked his wand and all the lights were immediately extinguished. With a dull pop, he disappeared.

* * *

**Review, plz! xoxoxoxo 2booklover4 **


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Not mine. Not yours. Only JK Rowling's.**

**A/N: Read and Review**

* * *

**You're Pretty**

_  
May 26, 1990_

Hermione was combing her hair after she took a nice, long bath. She was now seen wearing a simple white blouse, simple light blue skirt that ended just a few inches below her knee and white sandals. She was now putting a light blue headband on her hair.

The brunette smiled once she was done dressing up. Today, she would just meet up with her new friend, the nine-year-old Draco Malfoy (together with Mr. Beady, of course). Chuckling to herself, Hermione stood up and opened her bedroom door, only to be surprised by Merlin who was just about to knock on her door. Hermione shrieked slightly, now clutching her hammering heart.

"Good Lord, you scared me, Merlin!" Hermione exclaimed. "Don't you ever do that again!"

Merlin looked at Hermione with amusement. _'She does look pretty today,' _he mused, eyes sparkling. "I apologize, Miss Granger. I just want to ask if you want any help from me right now."

Hermione shook her head and smiled. "No, I think I can manage surviving this day without any help from you, Merlin."

"Ah, I see," he said, nodding. "Now, off you go. Mister Malfoy's already waiting for you."

The brunette groaned. "Why does he always arrive earlier than I do?"

The old wizard smiled. "I think Mister Malfoy arrived at exactly 12:10, Miss Granger."

Hermione's jaw dropped. "But we have a deal that we'll meet at 1 pm! Why did he arrive in our meeting place very early?"

"Well, I think Mister Malfoy is excited with your little meeting, Miss Granger," Merlin mused.

Hermione's brown knitted together, confused. "I don't understand," she said.

Merlin sighed. "I think it will be really best if you go now."

The brunette nodded. "Yes, you're right," she said. "See you later, Merlin. I'll call you if I need help."

"Goodbye," he said and watched as Hermione walked out of her room. Once Merlin had heard the main door of the house closing, he slightly smiled. "I can't help but watch what will happen between the two of them." So, with a soft pop, he disappeared.

* * *

Draco looked at his watch for the umpteenth time. It was still 12:50 in the afternoon so it meant Hermione wasn't late. The blond bit his bottom lip. He was waiting for her since 12:10 in the afternoon. Well, actually he planned to go here in their new meeting place at 12:50 pm but, surprisingly, his feet dragged him to their meeting place 40 minutes earlier than he had planned to.

The blond sighed as he looked at the teddy bear on his lap. His parents had no idea that their son owned a teddy bear and Draco knew it was best for them not to know at all. Fortunately, they wouldn't be home for three days so they still didn't know that he owned one. Draco frowned. If ever his parents knew he owned a teddy bear, they might confiscate Mr. Beady from him and throw him away from him. Draco hugged his teddy bear tighter. There was no way his parents would know about Mr. Beady. He wouldn't let that happen.

"Hermione's not yet here, Mr. Beady," Draco said, talking to his teddy bear. He sighed as he opened another Chocolate Frog. He had brought quite a lot to share with Hermione and now, he had already eaten 10 Chocolate Frogs. It was really a good idea that he brought a lot.

"Draco!" her familiar voice called out.

The blond snapped his head into her direction and bit back a smile. She was wearing a simple blouse and simple blue skirt. He noticed that she wasn't carrying her body bag today. Unable to restrain his smile anymore, Draco grinned widely. Hermione did look positively lovely today.

Hermione beamed brighter when she saw that he smiled back. Draco was wearing a simple white shirt and khaki pants. Mr. Beady was seen seated on his lap. A pile of Chocolate Frogs was also seen on his side.

The brunette then sat down beside him, shoving the pile of Chocolate Frogs a little to the middle so she could sit down.

"Want some Chocolate Frogs?" Draco offered, opening another wrapper of the chocolate. "I brought a lot, you know."

Hermione smiled as she picked one of the Chocolate Frogs and opened the wrapper. And then, breaking the silence, she casually asked, "So you were waiting for me since 12:10 in the afternoon?" At the corner of her eyes, she noticed that Draco stiffened and a faint blush appeared on both of his pale cheeks.

"I just didn't know what to do at home so I decided to go here early," Draco answered, slightly pouting. His brows then knitted together. "Wait," he said and then looked at Hermione, "how did you know I arrived here at exactly 12:10 in the afternoon?"

Shoot.

"Oh, umm, ha ha ha," Hermione said, nervously laughing. "You fell for that! I was… only joking, you know."

The blond seemed to buy what Hermione had answered him because he turned into a deeper shade of red.

The brunette slightly smirked. "So, you really arrived here early, huh?" she asked, her voice teasing.

Draco frowned. "I told you - ."

"All right, all right," Hermione said, laughing at his uneasiness. "Now, since we are here, what will we do then?"

The blond shrugged. "I honestly don't know."

Hermione grimaced. "I honestly don't know, too."

Draco chuckled. "I thought of a thing to do now," he said, patting Mr. Beady's head.

"And what is it?" the brunette asked.

"Can I ask you some things about your life?" the blond asked.

"Okay," Hermione slowly said. "But don't ask personal questions, all right?"

The blond nodded. "Okay," he answered. He then put a thoughtful look on his face. "Hmm… where do I start? Oh, okay." He then looked at Hermione. "What's your full name?"

Hermione bit her bottom lip. Would she tell him or not? If she did, Draco would be suspicious if one day he would meet a girl that looked _exactly _like her with an _exact _name. "Umm… Draco, I think it will be best if you won't know my real name."

Draco pouted. "Why not? It's nothing personal, right?" he innocently asked, biting the head of the Chocolate Frog.

The brunette sighed and closed her eyes. "Just… trust me, Draco. I really can't tell you," she whispered as she opened her eyes and stared at the confused boy.

He nodded, though, still confused. "Okay, I won't ask you anymore," he promised. "Anyway, back to my interrogation. How old are you?"

"Seventeen. You?"

"Nine. I'll almost turn ten," he answered. And then he frowned. "Seventeen? Shouldn't you be in Hogwarts? It's still early for summer break, you know."

Crap.

Hermione gulped. She hadn't thought about this fact. "We – well, Draco, Professor Mc – Dumbledore (she immediately remembered that Professor Dumbledore was still alive on this year) sent me into a… a secret task for three weeks. After that I'll… I'll go back to Hogwarts," she said, stammering for words.

"Oh," Draco said, nodding his head. "Why were you sent by Professor Dumbledore, then? There are many students in Hogwarts, you know. Why you?"

Hermione knew she could answer this. "Well, because I'm Head Girl, that's why."

The blond stared at her in awe. "Cool, you're Head Girl?" he asked as Hermione nodded. "I want to be Head Boy, too, when I grow up."

The brunette smiled – a smile meaning she knew something he didn't know. "Don't worry, Draco, I'm sure you'll become one."

Draco smiled. "So, it does mean you are intelligent" he said, staring at her in awe again. "Wow, I didn't know you are intelligent."

"Actually, I'm the most intelligent witch on my year," she proudly said, a big grin on her face.

Draco smiled back. "Show off."

Hermione frowned. "No, I'm not!" she exclaimed in protest. "My classmates and teachers tell me that I am indeed the most intelligent witch on my year."

Draco's smile grew. "Yeah, I believe you but still… show off."

"_Show off_," Hermione mimicked, making Draco laugh. "Look who's talking," she mumbled inaudibly.

"Excuse me?" Draco asked.

"I said, what's your next question?" Hermione grumbled.

"Well, I promise this isn't too personal," Draco said, mustering all of his innocence to show on his pale, handsome face, "but, do you have a boyfriend already?"

Hermione's jaw dropped. "But that's a personal question!" she exclaimed. "You promised me, you spoiled brat. No breaking of promises."

Draco chuckled. "No need to get so worked up, Hermione. I'm not serious," he explained. "You don't need to answer my question." Now, his last sentence was a lie. Draco really anticipated knowing if the beautiful young woman beside him had a boyfriend already. And… it would be shocking if she didn't have any.

"Next question, please," Hermione said, slightly feeling annoyed.

"All right," Draco said. He thought for a few minutes until his face lit up because of excitement. "You're seventeen, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Then, you can use magic anywhere without being scolded by the Ministry of Magic!" he exclaimed. "Can you show me some magic with your wand? And can you summon your patronus – if you can only. I want to see what the shape of your patronus is. My father's patronus is a bat, you know."

Darn.

'_Oh my god, what will I do?' _Hermione frantically asked herself. _'I don't have my wand, for crying out loud!' _

"Umm… Hermione? Are you quite all right?" the blond asked, confused as to why the brunette beside him suddenly turned pale.

"I'm all right, Draco," she lied, now wringing her right wrist nervously. "Umm… Draco, I can't show you magic."

A shock look crossed on Draco's face. "You're… you're not a witch?" he nervously asked. If Hermione wasn't a witch then… he made friends with a Muggle! And worse, he liked this Muggle! Oh the horror! What would his father do to him… to Hermione if he discovered that his one and only Pureblood son had a stupid (who really was intelligent), filthy (who really looked clean right now), stinky (who really smelled wonderful today), and ugly (bleh, she was so beautiful, all right) Muggle friend?

"No!" Hermione immediately exclaimed abruptly. "I'm a witch, a proud one. I know many spells and all… but, I don't have my wand right now," she confessed. "I can't show you magic today, I'm sorry."

Draco released a sigh of relief. "I thought you were a Muggle for a minute, you know," the blond said, eating another Chocolate Frog. "My dad will be furious if he discovered that I have a Muggle friend or… a Muggle-born."

The brunette nervously gulped.

"So, what's the reason why you don't have your wand right now?" Draco asked.

Hermione sighed. _'Might as well tell the partial truth,' _she thought. "Well, my loathed ('_and liked'_) enemy broke it," she said.

The blond gasped in horror. "He didn't?"

"Yes, he did," the brunette said, nodding.

"That's awful," he said, making a face. "The person who broke your wand is really, really bad."

Hermione couldn't help but smirk. _'If only you know who you are describing, Draco,' _she said as she picked a Chocolate Frog from the decreasing pile and opened the wrapper.

"So, you can't really show me magic," he grumbled, frowning. He then looked at Hermione. "Do you promise to show me one day once you have your wand back?"

Curses.

"Umm… I can't promise," Hermione slowly said as she watched the blond frowning deeper. "I'm sorry."

"Why? Will you go somewhere?" he asked, making Hermione gulp. Maybe his interrogation was not a good thing to do after all.

"I… don't know," Hermione whispered, staring into space.

"Oh," he said, disappointed.

"Draco," she asked, not looking at her friend beside her, "will you cry if I go?"

"No, of course not," the blond abruptly said, stroking Mr. Beady's head. "Malfoys don't cry."

"Right," Hermione said.

An uncomfortable silence was heard between the two. Draco was busying himself by stroking Mr. Beady's head while Hermione nibbled with her Chocolate Frog.

"Wow," Draco suddenly said, breaking the silence, "this is uncomfortable."

Hermione nervously chuckled. "Yeah."

"Bloody hell," Draco muttered. Hermione gasped and looked at Draco with wide, surprised eyes. The blond stared back, confused as to why the brunette was looking at him like that. "What?"

"Draco Malfoy, take that back," the brunette ordered, her voice suddenly stern and serious. Her eyes were wide (_'adorably wide,' _Draco thought) and her lips were formed into a thin line.

"What did I say?" the blond innocently asked, still confused.

"Don't play innocent with me, Mister Malfoy," Hermione said. Draco thought that she oddly (and admiringly) sounded like a mother to him. "You know what you have said. Now take it back."

"What? Bloody hell?" he asked and watched in amusement when Hermione flinched. "Bloody hell?"

"Stop it, you spoiled brat!" Hermione scolded. "That's a bad word. And you are still nine, for heaven's sake! A boy like you shouldn't say… say those words!"

"Bloody hell?" Draco asked again, now teasing the brunette.

"One more, Mister Malfoy, or I swear to Merlin I'll cut your tongue," the brunette threatened, her voice dangerously low. The blond had to admit, Hermione looked really scary when she was angry but at the same time, she was also very, very pretty.

"I still don't understand," he said, a taunting smirk on his face. "Are you talking about 'Bloody hell'?"

"That's it, Draco Malfoy, show me your tongue," Hermione said, now feeling irritated. He was still young, for crying out loud! He shouldn't say bad words – kids shouldn't say bad words. It was very, very bad.

"What if I don't want to," Draco said, feigning stubbornness. "My father shouts that to me almost everyday, you know, so I thought it isn't bad at all."

Hermione frowned. Lucius Malfoy cursed in front of his nine-year-old son. She shook her head. That was not a very good thing a good parent should do. Oh yeah, she forgot. Lucius Malfoy was bad. "But you still shouldn't say those bad words, Draco. That's not good. Now, show me your tongue so I can teach you a lesson," Hermione said, her right hand rummaging inside her pocket. The brunette sighed. Of course, she didn't have her wand.

Draco smirked. "Too bad you don't have your wand, Hermione," he said. "Now, I can keep my tongue."

"Ha ha ha, lucky you," Hermione said sarcastically while rolling her eyes.

"Bloody hell," Draco said again and smirked as Hermione glared at him. He laughed.

"Draco Malfoy - ."

"You know, you're prettier when you are angry, Hermione," Draco said, still laughing. Hermione stared at him, shocked as a blush slowly crept on both of her pale cheeks. Yes, complimented by a nine-year-old boy couldn't make Hermione blush but we were talking about the younger version of her crush here.

Draco stopped laughing when he realized what he had just said. He blushed too and looked at Mr. Beady, refusing to look at the young woman beside him.

"Err… why thank you, Draco," Hermione said as she watched in amusement the fidgeting boy. She caught sight of the blush on both of his cheeks. The brunette smiled. He was embarrassed, too.

The blond just nodded his head, still embarrassed.

"You… you really think so?" Hermione whispered.

"What?" Draco asked, drawing circles on Mr. Beady's head, still refusing to look at Hermione's eyes.

"Do you really think I'm prettier when I'm angry?" she asked. She still couldn't believe that Draco "Jerk" Malfoy thought that she was pretty when she was angry.

"Umm… yeah," he said, slowly looking at Hermione. He still had faint red patches on both of his cheek as he embarrassedly admitted what he had thought of her ever since he had met her. "You're pretty, you know. Prettier when you're angry."

Hermione smiled. "Thank you, Draco," she said again and watched as he turned into a deeper shade of red. "Boy, Draco, this is embarrassing to you, isn't it?"

Draco mutely nodded while Hermione softly laughed. She patted his blond hair while saying, "You're so cute."

"Can we talk about other things?" he slightly pleaded, more embarrassed when the brunette told him he was cute.

Hermione laughed again. "Do whatever you want, Draco, it's all right," the brunette said.

And so, the two talked about this and that. Draco thankfully recovered from his embarrassment and told Hermione about things he liked, disliked, and whatsoever. Hermione then had discovered that Draco Malfoy was really a sweet child when he was in his years before Hogwarts. She just presumed that it was the entire King of Jerks' (Lucius Malfoy. Draco was the Prince of Jerks) fault that's why Draco Malfoy was… well… like that in school.

"So, you mean to say you had Muggle friends before?" Hermione inquired, picking one Chocolate Frog. The pile of it was obviously decreasing because the two continued to eat them.

Draco nodded. "Yeah, but…" he frowned, "I don't know why they all suddenly disappear. I always suspect my father was behind all of these mysterious disappearances." The blond sighed. "That's the reason why I don't have many friends. My father's the one who chooses who I should be with. No Muggles. No Muggle-borns."

"Why?"

The blond shrugged. "Father says they are all filthy. He says they shouldn't exist in this world. He says they are the threat to all the Purebloods in the Wizarding World," Draco answered. "Father always tells me they aren't nice."

"That's not true," Hermione blurted out. Draco stared at her with wide eyes.

"Really?" he asked. "Well, Father tells me all he says are the truth."

"Stupid Lucius Malfoy," Hermione mumbled inaudibly. She then stared straight at Draco's eyes. "Do you think all Muggles and Muggle-borns are bad?"

Draco frowned and thought for a moment. And then, he answered slowly, "No, I don't think so. Like what I've told you a while ago, I had Muggle friends before and… they seemed rather nice. One even discovered that I'm a wizard and he was fascinated and all." He pouted and looked at Mr. Beady. "It's really… sad I don't see him anymore. I considered him as my best friend, you know. But Father became outrageous when he discovered I'm mingling with Muggles so… I don't know what he did." The blond made a face. "And I don't want to know what he did. I just heard one day from his mother that he was in the hospital because of severe bruises and a big bump on his head. I also heard that he lost a lot of blood." He sighed. "Since that day, he didn't show up anymore and so, I lost my one and only best friend."

"Ever since that happened, I tried to avoid Muggles as much as possible," Draco said. "I don't want them to get hurt, too, because they are nice to me." He then looked at Hermione with a smile on his handsome face. "That's why I'm glad you are not a Muggle or a Muggle-born, Hermione. Father won't have the reason to hurt you because you befriended me."

Hermione gulped. _'Cruel Lucius Malfoy! Cruel!' _she thought. She didn't know how Draco would react if she told him that she couldn't stay because… she didn't belong here. She was from the future, anyway. Hermione sighed. She almost forgot that there was a reason why she went back into time. Hermione took a deep breath and sneaked a glance at the little boy at the corner of her eyes. "Umm… Draco, promise me that you won't get angry at the question I'm going to ask you."

Draco frowned and shrugged. "It depends."

Hermione sighed. "Just say you promise, Draco," she said. "Please?"

The blond slowly nodded, staring at Hermione curiously. "All right, I promise."

"Okay, you promised," Hermione said. She took another deep breath. "Draco," she started, "is… is your father… a… err… umm…" She was stuttering and Draco looked at her oddly. _'Dammit, Hermione,' _she scolded herself. "… a… Death Eater?" she finished in a whisper. She watched as Draco stiffened, his jaw tightened, and his eyes darkened.

"Where did you get that?" he asked, his tone very cold making Hermione flinch.

"Umm… I…"

"I said where did you get that?" Draco demanded, staring at Hermione with wide eyes because of fury.

"You promised!" Hermione blurted out and watched as Draco gritted his teeth, now trying to calm himself.

"Where did you get that?" the blond asked for the third time, this time in a whisper.

"So – someone told me," Hermione answered, this time in a whisper, too.

"No," Draco answered curtly, trying to sound nice. But Hermione caught the anger in his eyes. "My father's not a... a you-know-what."

Hermione nodded her head even though she knew that the blond was lying. What provoked Hermione to ask that question was to know if Draco Malfoy really knew that his father was a Death Eater, a most loyal one, actually, like what Merlin had told her. His sudden anger made Hermione think that maybe he already knew the evilness of his father. The brunette sighed when she noticed that Draco was still angry. "I'm sorry," she said softly, "I shouldn't have asked that question." She watched as the blond slightly flinched. Hermione looked at him curiously as he turned his head to stare at her.

"I'm sorry, too," he said with remorse. "I promised you I won't get angry but I did. Forgive me, Hermione."

The brunette smiled and patted his head. "You didn't do anything wrong," she whispered. Draco looked at her and smiled.

Suddenly, a great rumble was heard above the sky. The two looked up in unison and saw the graying clouds covering the sun. Hermione frowned.

"I think it's going to rain," she said. As if on cue, big, heavy rain drops poured down the earth. The rain drenched all of the things below within just a few minutes. "Draco, go home now!" Hermione shouted through the rain. The stupid weather was making it impossible for Hermione to hear anything.

Draco looked at her and nodded. The brunette noticed the big grin on the blond's face. "I love the rain!" he shouted.

"Well, I hate the rain!" Hermione shouted back. "Go home, Draco! You'll get sick!"

"All right, Hermione! See you tomorrow!" he said, shielding Mr. Beady so he didn't get too wet. "I'll meet you here tomorrow at 8:00 am! Is that all right?!"

"Yeah, now go!" Hermione said as she started to run back to her temporary home. Hermione ran, slipping a lot (she was sometimes a clumsy person, actually). She tried to cover her head with her hands but the attempt was a failure. The brunette sighed. _'Curse the rain,' _she grumbled as she arrived at the door of her temporary house. She opened the door and was greeted by a blazing fireplace with Merlin seated on one of the armchairs.

"I'm surprised you didn't call for help, Miss Granger," Merlin said as he stood up to look Hermione from head to toe. "You're drenched from the rain."

Hermione snorted and shivered. "O – obviously," she stuttered a little because of the cold. "I – I forgot to call you, Merlin. My m - mind's preoccupied," she explained.

Merlin just nodded his head. "Now, go upstairs and change your clothes before you get sick."

The brunette softly groaned as she trudged towards her bedroom. She had a great feeling she would get sick tomorrow. Hermione knew she had a low immune system so just slight rain could make her sick already. She shivered as she reached her cold bedroom. She changed into warm and comfortable pajamas. It was still 6:00 pm but Hermione felt tired already (a symptom of an upcoming fever) so she just wanted to skip dinner and sleep.

Downstairs, Merlin was gazing up the stairs. "Good Lord, Miss Granger, I think this task will have unpredictable results," he thought aloud. Merlin then chuckled. "Hmm… Mister Malfoy telling Miss Granger she's pretty? Now, that's interesting," he said and with a dull pop, he apparated, presuming that Hermione wouldn't eat dinner anymore.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you liked it! I'll update PiD soon. Just wait patiently. Remember, patience is a virtue... lol... xoxoxoxoxo 2booklover4.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Not mine. Not yours. Blah, blah and finally, blah.**

**A/N: Review plz! Enjoy! **

* * *

**Brunette's Fever**

_  
May 27, 1990_

The next day, Hermione woke up with a very, very painful headache. She groaned as she sat up. Her head felt like hundreds of stones were filled inside it. Her head felt heavy. With another groan, Hermione stood up slowly towards the bathroom as she hope to take a very, very hot bath. Her whole body shivered, puzzling Hermione since the sun was up without any rain or cold wind.

Once she was done taking a bath, Hermione chose to wear her favorite blue t-shirt underneath a beige sweater. She also wore jeans with sneakers. As for her hair, Hermione chose to just leave it as it was. She was still tired to fix her hair.

Hermione then trudged down the stairs with heavy feet. Going to the kitchen seemed like going to moon. The brunette groaned again as she clutched her heavy head, feeling slightly dizzy.

When she arrived at the kitchen door, she heard some clunking noises. Now, Hermione knew it was only Merlin making her breakfast. Hermione bit her bottom lip. Breakfast seemed very unappealing to her right now. She slowly opened the kitchen door and was greeted by a beaming Merlin.

"Good morning, Miss Granger!" he exclaimed, just filling a glass with pumpkin juice. Merlin frowned at the sight of the brunette. "You don't look good."

"I don't feel well," Hermione admitted as she sat down on one of the chairs. She pressed her right palm against her sweaty forehead, trying to get rid of the pain. She groaned again, alarming Merlin. Hermione then felt a hand gently pressing itself against her forehead followed by tutting noises.

"Miss Granger, you have a fever," Merlin stated, frowning. "You really should have called for my help yesterday."

Hermione just groaned for her answer. "Do you have any Pepper-Up Potion?" she asked. "I can't meet Draco like this. I know he'll get worried."

Merlin shook his head. "I don't have any Pepper-Up Potion, Miss Granger," he answered, "and I think it would be best if you don't go to your meeting today. Mister Malfoy would understand."

Hermione shook her head. "No, I promised to see him," she answered, sighing as she drank pumpkin juice. "If you don't have Pepper-Up Potion, do you know any healing spell?"

"No, I apologize, Miss Granger," Merlin answered, shaking his head.

The brunette looked at him curiously. "You don't know any spell?" she asked, a bit surprised.

"Miss Granger, I might be the best wizard in the history of the Wizarding World but I'm not that perfect," Merlin explained. "I don't know any healing spells."

Hermione still looked at him skeptically but dropped it. "Then, Muggle painkillers. Do you have any?" she asked. "My headache's killing me."

"That I can easily do," Merlin said as he conjured a painkiller out of thin air. He handed it to Hermione who thanked Merlin and took it. Minutes later, her headache was decreasing but she was still not feeling well. "Thanks Merlin, it helped," she said as Merlin nodded.

"Miss Granger, I really think you should just rest," the worried old wizard told her.

Hermione shook her head. "No, I promised Draco to meet him right now," she said and looked at her watch. It was already quarter to 8. "I better get going," she said as she stood up, finishing her pumpkin juice.

"Remember, if you need help - ."

" – I'll call for you," Hermione finished, making Merlin smile. With a goodbye wave, Hermione walked out of her temporary home.

Merlin stared at the closed door and shook his head. She was really determined to live again. With a sigh, he fixed the leftover breakfast.

* * *

Hermione felt like a sick, slow turtle. She really hated it whenever she was sick. It made her vulnerable… weak. And Hermione didn't like that feeling. It was very… un-Gryffindor-like. The brunette sighed as the headache throbbed painfully on her head again. She knew painkillers wouldn't help her at all. She really needed some Pepper-Up Potion or any healing spells.

It still made her curious as to why Merlin didn't know any healing spell. Hermione had read somewhere that healing fevers without the usage of potions was very complicated. The brunette also read somewhere that Merlin was one of the wizards who invented a lot of healing spells.

'_He's lying to me,' _Hermione thought bitterly as she neared their meeting place. She stopped a bit as her surroundings started to spin. She bent down and placed both her hands on her knees, an action that helped calm her dizziness, and closed her eyes. She opened her eyes and straightened up again. What she did a while ago helped her, but not a lot. She was still slightly feeling dizzy.

Wanting to arrive at their meeting place, Hermione started to walk. Every step, she became dizzier and dizzier, making her groan in frustration.

Finally, she spotted the bench with Draco clutching Mr. Beady seated on it. The only problem was, Hermione was seeing double. She didn't know if the real Draco was in the right or in the left. She placed one shaky and clammy hand on her sweating forehead and closed her eyes, a soft groan escaping from her lips.

Draco's ears perked up at the soft sound he had heard. He was gifted with sharp hearing, you know. Draco looked up and saw Hermione. He smiled but then it slowly turned into a frown when he saw the look of Hermione. "Hey, are you all right?" he asked, standing up as Hermione started to wobble a little. Draco could see the beads of sweat forming on her forehead. "Hermione…" he whispered. Suddenly, Hermione collapsed on the ground. Draco's eyes widened as he approached the unconscious brunette. "Hermione," he said, shaking her. The brunette was shivering uncontrollably as more sweat formed on her forehead. She was gasping for air. Frightened and worried, the blond touched her forehead with his right hand but immediately withdrew it. She was burning hot.

Frantically, Draco looked around, wanting to find if someone could help them. The blond groaned when he didn't see someone… anyone. "Hermione… please be all right," he said to her, eyes wide because of fear.

And then, his mind started working. Eyes trained on the unconscious teenager, he whispered, "Dobby, I summon you."

It was barely a minute when Draco heard the familiar dull pop made by his personal house-elf, Dobby. Draco looked at him and never felt so happy to see his face before. Unable to control himself, the blond hugged his startled house-elf.

"Young Master Draco summoned Dobby," he said, pulling effortlessly away from Draco's bear hug. "What does Young Master Draco want from Dobby?"

Draco pointed one, pale finger at the unconscious brunette. "She's sick, Dobby. I need your help to bring her to the Malfoy Manor," he said with obvious worry. It was really lucky his parents were not home.

Dobby eyed Hermione with a slight frown. "Does Young Master Draco know the Miss?"

The blond nodded vigorously. "She's my friend, Dobby," he said. "Now please, help me bring her to one of the guest rooms."

His personal house-elf nodded his head. He could already hear the worry and fright in his young master's voice. He latched his right arm with Draco's left and held Hermione's arm with his left. With a snap, they disappeared.

* * *

Draco looked at the grandfather clock for the umpteenth time and then looked at the sleeping young woman on the bed. It had been an hour since Hermione fainted and now she was sleeping in one of the guest rooms in the Malfoy Manor.

With the help of Dobby's magic (house-elves have magic), they both managed to make the unconscious Hermione drink a Pepper-Up Potion. So now, the brunette's fever went down, though, she was still quite warm.

Draco had stayed by her side ever since their arrival in the Malfoy Manor. Dobby had offered to look for Hermione while Draco took a rest but surprisingly, the blond refused to leave her side. The house-elf then busied himself by making some lunch for his Young Master and his friend.

The blond then stared at Mr. Beady seated on his lap. "Hermione's not yet awake, Mr. Beady," he said, stroking the top of his teddy bear. "But she's all right now. Her fever went down. There's no need to be worried anymore."

And then suddenly, Hermione released a soft groan. Draco looked at her eagerly, wanting to see if she was awake already. But unfortunately, she just rolled over so her face was now facing Draco. The blond sighed and then heard Hermione's groan again.

"Hermione?" he asked.

"Mom… Dad…" she mumbled followed by a soft sob.

"Hermione? Are you awake?" Draco asked, looking at her with wide, surprised eyes. Hermione didn't answer him so Draco presumed that she was just talking in her sleep. The blond slightly smiled at his new discover. Hermione talked in her sleep.

"Home…" she mumbled as she rolled over again, now her back facing Draco. "I want to go home." Another soft sob escaped from her mouth.

Draco watched her quietly with interest when she stirred again.

"Harry… Ron…" she muttered. "I want to go back." Draco frowned when a lone tear escaped from her right eye. He wiped it away with his finger, feeling the wetness of her tear.

He then looked at her again, her face now relaxed. _'So, she misses home,' _he mused, unconsciously wiping his slightly wet finger with his shirt. Hermione wanted to go home, that was what he presumed. Draco frowned again. If Hermione went home, there would be a possibility they wouldn't see each other again. He sighed. Maybe he could ask if they could still see each other once Hermione's Head Girl task ends.

"Young Master Draco?" Dobby's soft voice said, breaking the silence. Draco slowly looked at him with a questioning look on his face.

"What is it, Dobby?" he asked.

"A letter arrived for Young Master Draco. The letter is in the kitchen, Young Master Draco," Dobby said. His eyes then shifted on the sleeping brunette. "How is Miss Hermione?"

"She's fine now, Dobby," he said. "Could you just give me the letter?" He didn't want to leave Hermione's side.

Dobby shook his head. "The owl doesn't want Dobby to get the letter. Young Master Draco should be the one to get the letter. The owl is waiting for Young Master Draco's reply," he reasoned.

"The letter is from?" Draco asked.

"From Master Lucius, Young Master Draco," his personal house-elf said.

Draco sighed. He knew what the letter would be about.

"Does Young Master Draco want to let Dobby look for Miss Hermione?" Dobby inquired, his eyes trained on their sleeping guest.

The blond sighed. "It's all right, Dobby. You can continue whatever you are doing."

Dobby nodded. With a snap of his fingers, he was gone.

Draco shot one last look on Hermione. He placed Mr. Beady beside her. "Look after her, Mr. Beady. I'll go back immediately," he said and with that, he went out of the room.

As soon as the door closed, Hermione rolled over again. "Draco Malfoy," she mumbled followed by a sigh, hugging the teddy bear unconsciously. "I love you."

* * *

Hermione slowly opened her eyes, only to find herself staring face to face with Mr. Beady. She blinked several times and rolled over so that she was now facing the ceiling. _'Where am I?' _she asked herself, quickly discovering the obvious difference of this room from her temporary bedroom. She looked at the windows and saw green curtains. She was lying on a four poster bed, she observed, with silver bed hangings and green blanket. The bed felt oddly so comfortable, in Hermione's opinion.

The brunette's face slightly contorted in curiosity. _'Everything's green and silver. Very Slytherin-like,' _she mused, looking at a wardrobe painted in silver. She looked back at the ceiling and immediately recognized the crest – the Malfoy crest. She usually saw it in the Heads' Dormitory.

Hermione's eyes widened in realization. She was in the Malfoy Manor. She sat up quite abruptly, making her slightly dizzy. She blinked several times until the dizzy sensation disappeared. _'Why am I in the Malfoy Manor?' _she thought, looking around again. Everything was pretty expensive. Hermione frowned. She remembered having a fever when she woke up this morning. She drank a painkiller since Merlin didn't have any Pepper-Up Potion and he didn't know any healing spells. She remembered walking towards their meeting place while being so dizzy. The last thing she remembered was seeing Draco before she fainted.

Hermione groaned. She fainted because of her fever. Panic slightly attacked her. _'What if Lucius Malfoy is here?' _she asked herself. She sighed. She hated 'what if' questions.

_CRASH!_

Hermione's eyes immediately landed on the door. She heard a crashing noise followed by muffled voices. Curious, she quietly and slowly stood up. She opened the door slightly and peeked outside. There was Dobby who was kneeling on the floor while picking broken pieces of glass with Draco who was constantly apologizing.

"I'm sorry, Dobby," he said for the umpteenth time. "I'm sorry. You should have just given me the tray."

Dobby sighed. "Dobby told Young Master Draco the tray is heavy."

Draco pouted. "But I wanted to give the tray of food to Hermione myself," he grumbled inaudibly. He bent down and helped Dobby in picking the pieces of the broken glass.

"Young Master Draco might be wounded," Dobby gently scolded, watching as Draco picked the broken pieces of glass. Hermione watched in interest, not yet wanting to disturb the master and servant.

"No, I won't," the blond stubbornly said. He continued to pick broken pieces of glass. "Ouch!" he exclaimed as blood oozed out of the young blond's index finger. Dobby sighed.

"Dobby warned Young Master Draco," the house-elf said.

"Are you all right, Draco?" Hermione suddenly asked as she knelt down beside the blond.

Draco looked at her in surprise. "It hurts a little," he said, frowning at his wound.

"Dobby will mend the wound," the house-elf said.

"No, it's all right, Dobby," Hermione said. "It's just a little wound. Don't waste your magic with it."

Draco then was startled when Hermione suddenly held his hand gently. With her free hand, she rummaged inside her pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. Draco watched in silence as she wiped the blood with the usage of her handkerchief. Once the bleeding stopped, she smiled at the blond.

"There," she said. "Does it still hurt?"

"A bit," Draco admitted. He hated having wounds. They really hurt. His eyes widened when Hermione lightly kissed his wounded finger.

"Does it still hurt?" Hermione asked.

Draco didn't answer but continued to stare at the brunette as if she grew a second head.

Hermione chuckled at the surprised look on Draco's face. "My mother used to do that when I was a kid," the brunette said. "If I have a small wound, which hurts, she would kiss it and then the pain would go away," she explained. "Now, does it still hurt?"

The blond mutely shook his head, making the brunette smile.

"Is Miss Hermione all right now?" Dobby inquired. The small mess was clean now. The tray with Hermione's supposed lunch was now seen beside the house-elf.

"Oh, I'm fine now," Hermione said. "You gave me some Pepper-Up Potion, right?"

Dobby nodded. "Yes, Miss Hermione."

Hermione grinned. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Miss Granger," the house-elf said. "It's a pleasure for Dobby to help Young Master Draco's friends."

The brunette's grin widened. She then looked at the tray beside Dobby. "That's my lunch?" she asked.

"Yes," Draco answered, now composing himself back. "Lunch in bed."

Hermione chuckled. "Have you eaten, Draco?"

Draco shook his head.

"Let's eat together then," Hermione said as she stood up. She helped Draco up, too.

"Bring her lunch in the dining room, Dobby," Draco ordered. "Make sure my lunch is ready, too."

Dobby nodded and held the tray. With a snap, he disappeared. Draco looked at Hermione.

"Come on, I'll show you the dining room," he said. Hermione nodded and followed the blond.

While they were walking, Hermione observed the whole Malfoy Manor. Everything made her interested because everything was priceless. Hermione felt like she was looking inside a castle's house. There were very expensive antiques that came from different parts of the world. Hermione practically gasped when she saw a small replica of The Statue of Liberty.

"That was a gift from a rich acquaintance of Father," Draco said, following Hermione's gaze. He'd been watching her from the corner of his eyes and was quite amused with her awe.

"It… it looks exactly like The Statue of Liberty!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Err… yeah," Draco said, still amused.

They were silent for their whole trip towards the dining room. Hermione was busy observing the whole Manor while Draco looked at her from the corner of his eyes.

"Are your parents here?" she asked, breaking the silence. She looked at Draco with slight panic.

Draco shook his head. "They won't go home. They're busy preparing for my Mother's birthday ball."

"Oh," Hermione said. "When's your Mother's birthday."

"30th of May," the blond answered.

"Oh, I see why they're busy," Hermione said. "It's three days from now."

The blond just nodded.

They continued to walk in silence until Draco broke it.

"We're here," he said while they were standing in front a huge oak-wooden door with a length that reached from the ceiling to the floor. Hermione eagerly watched as he opened the door.

Once it was open, her mouth instantly dropped.

"Good God," she said, almost breathless. "This is very gorgeous." The dining room was very big in size. A long table was seen at the middle of the room. Hermione presumed that it was almost as long as the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. A huge chandelier was hanging above the ceiling which was painted with angels and clouds. Huge windows with green curtains were seen at the left side of the dining room while at the right side were more antiques and expensive things. "Filthy rich," Hermione mumbled. "And I'm dirty poor." She sighed and shook his head. The Malfoy family would always be ostentatious.

"Come on, Hermione, lunch is ready," Draco said, tugging her right hand. Hermione followed and sat down at the very end of the table. The blond sat down at the opposite end of the table. Hermione frowned at their seating arrangement. She stood up and walked towards the chair beside where Draco was seated.

"What are you doing here?" the blond asked.

"How can I talk to you if I'm seating at the very end of the table?" Hermione just simply asked. "I don't want to shout while eating, you know."

Draco looked at her curiously but just shrugged.

Food appeared and that was when Hermione felt she was really, really famished. She just ate as much as she could, grabbing the opportunity of eating delicious foods mostly eaten by rich people only.

The blond watched her in amusement and curiosity. "Slow down, Hermione. The food won't go anywhere," Draco said.

Hermione smiled at him after swallowing a piece of the scrumptious steak. "Sorry, Draco, I can't help it. I've never eaten expensive food before."

Draco just nodded and continued eating.

After they finished eating their lunch, the brunette sighed in contentment.

"Thanks for the delicious food," she said, making Draco smile. "Anyway, I feel better now. I think I'll just go home."

Draco frowned. "Can't you just stay longer?" he asked, feeling hopeful.

Hermione shrugged. "I don't know, Draco. What will I do here anyway?"

"I can show you our library," he suggested. He watched as Hermione's eyes lit up in excitement.

"All right, I can stay a little longer," Hermione said as she stood up. Draco stood up, too. "Is your library huge?" she asked.

"Well, I don't know…" he said. "But Father said it's twice as big as the Hogwarts library." With his answer, Hermione couldn't help but squeal softly.

"I miss the Hogwarts library," she told Draco. "I miss the feeling of being in a library."

"Well, what do you feel when you are in a library?" the blond asked.

"Ease… relaxation," Hermione simply said. "No matter how stressful the day was, if I go to the Hogwarts library, my stress immediately disappears."

"Oh," he simply said.

They continued to walk until they arrived at another huge oak-wooden door. Draco opened the door while Hermione watched in excitement.

Once the door was open, Hermione couldn't help but gasp. "Wow," she said as she looked at Draco. "Your father's right, Draco. It's twice as big as the Hogwarts library."

Draco just beamed and walked inside, Hermione trailing behind him. The brunette felt like she was in heaven with hundreds of thousands of books organized in big, wooden shelves. She almost collapsed in joy. Almost only.

Like in Hogwarts, the books were classified according to their genre. Bewitched wooden signs were seen hovering above some shelves. Hermione immediately approached the shelves with a sign 'Fiction' and started to browse from book to book.

"Do you want me to go, Hermione?" Draco asked, watching Hermione.

"No, stay here," the brunette said, chuckling to herself. "I might get lost. Just… just read a book."

Draco sighed and followed Hermione's advice. He went towards the 'Sports' section and got a book about Quidditch. When he was about to sit down on one table, Hermione came half-walking, half-running towards him. She was smiling and her cheeks were slightly red.

"You have the whole Twilight series?" Hermione asked, sitting down on the chair across Draco.

The blond nodded.

"Oh thank goodness!" she exclaimed. "I haven't read New Moon and Eclipse yet. I just finished Twilight this summer and I'm _dying _to read the sequels!"

Draco stared at her, mouth slightly ajar. Hermione noticed it and looked at him questioningly.

"What?"

The blond chuckled and shook his head. "Unbelievable," he said. "Why do girls practically _fall in love _with that book?"

"Because Stephenie Meyer did a good job in writing these books!" Hermione simply reasoned. "And…Edward Cullen is… well… as what Bella Swan described him… _inhumanly _beautiful."

Draco shook his head again. "You're sounding like my mother," the blond said.

"Why?"

"My mother's addicted to the Twilight series, too, you know," Draco said. "Every time I'm not doing anything and she's not doing anything, she begs me to listen about how she loves Twilight. She tells me how she wishes all the vampires in the Wizarding World are like the Cullens. Those were the worst days of my life."

Hermione chuckled. "Have you read it, then?"

The blond frowned. "No and never. I think it's too sissy for me," he answered.

Hermione just rolled her eyes and continued to read the book. Their peaceful reading broke when Dobby came wobbling inside.

"Dobby apologizes for the interruption but the teas and biscuits are ready, Young Master Draco," the house-elf said.

Draco nodded his head and then looked at Hermione. "Do you want to drink tea and eat biscuits?"

"That's fine with me," Hermione said, nodding.

"All right, tea time is always in the garden," he said as he stood up. Hermione stood up too and returned the book on the right shelf.

The two then walked towards the garden in a peaceful silence. When they arrived there, Hermione couldn't help but gasp in surprise. Their garden was very beautiful, too. There were many different kinds of plants, magical and non-magical. Some bushes were in different forms and shapes. Hermione stared in awe at one bush shaped like the Malfoy crest.

"My mother's the one who maintains the garden's beauty," Draco said, feeling slightly proud. "All the guests that visit our Manor are always in awe whenever we bring them to our garden."

"Oh," the brunette simply said. Draco led her towards a gazebo at the middle of the garden with a small table with their teas and some biscuits. Hermione smiled. It had been a long time ever since she had drunk tea.

She sat at the opposite of Draco and slowly sipped her tea. "It's delicious," she commented.

Draco smiled. "Dobby makes the best tea in the whole world," he said.

The brunette just smiled again. She munched some biscuits before Draco broke the silence.

"You know, you are very interesting when you sleep," he said. Hermione froze. Slowly, she looked at Draco with an impish smile on his face. "I discovered something about you, you know. You talk in your sleep."

Hermione scowled. "Yes, I do know I talk in my sleep. Thank you for pointing it out," she said sarcastically, making Draco chuckle. His smile then disappeared when he slightly frowned.

"You said you miss your mom and dad," he softly said.

The brunette made a small smile. "Indeed I do. I miss my home."

"And you mumbled names… I think they're Harry and Ron," he said, eyebrows knitting together. "Who are they?"

"They're my best friends," Hermione simply said.

"Boys?"

Hermione nodded, chuckling softly. "Yeah, they're both boys and I'm the only girl," she said. "People say I act like their mother, you know. They always do annoying things leading them to detention. They're troublemakers. But even if they're like that, they're still very important to my life."

"You said you want to go back," Draco whispered. His tone made Hermione look at him curiously. "A tear slipped down your face."

The brunette bit her bottom lip and stared at her tea. "It's a bit hard to adjust, Draco," she said. "I'm used in waking up early in the morning and going to the Great Hall with Harry and Ron. I'm used in scolding them when they don't do their homework. I'm used in being called as the 'know-it-all, bossy Mud… err… Mug… err… Pureblood'." Hermione slightly blushed when Draco looked at her strangely because of her stutters but dropped it.

"You're bossy?"

Hermione grinned and shrugged. "What do you think?"

Draco nodded. "Yes, I think you are bossy," he admitted.

The brunette chuckled. "Everyone thinks I'm very, very bossy," she said, sighing. "I can't help it. It just bothers me when people don't do the right thing. So, when I tell them to right their mistakes, they call me a bossy girl."

"Aren't you bothered?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, I'm not. I told you I'm used to it," she said with a thoughtful look on her face. "Though, it had hurt me one time when I was in first year. I cried in the girls' bathroom, almost crushed by a troll."

Draco's eyes widened. "Wow, how did you survived?"

"My best friends saved me," Hermione said. "If they didn't come, I think I'll be six feet below the ground already."

The blond flinched with her words. "How does it feel to have best friends?" he asked innocently.

Hermione stared at him with a frown. "It's… a nice feeling," she said. "I can't explain it."

"I wish I can feel it sometime," he said, grabbing a biscuit on the plate.

Pity bubbled inside Hermione's body. _'Poor boy,' _she said, shaking her head.

"Since when did you know you talk in your sleep?" Draco asked, changing the topic.

"Oh," Hermione said. "Well, when I was ten years old like you. My mother told me I talk in my sleep."

Draco just nodded his head. He traced the rim of the cup of his tea with his pinky. "Hermione, once your Head Girl task is done, you'll go back, right?"

"Right," Hermione said, beaming. She couldn't wait to finish her task… not as Head Girl, though. Her smile turned into a frown at the look Draco was giving her.

"Will I see you again?" he whispered, his eyes trained on his tea.

"Maybe… maybe not."

"What do you mean?" he asked, confused. He was now looking at the brunette.

"I don't know if we'll meet again, Draco," the brunette admitted, shoulders slightly slouching.

"Oh," was what the blond answered. But the brunette couldn't help but hear the bitter tone in his voice. And then, Hermione frowned as she was trying to remember something. She then froze and her eyes widened. She remembered one time when Merlin told her she mumbled that she loved Draco Malfoy.

"Hermione?" the blond asked, worried as Hermione was paling.

"Did I say something else?" the brunette asked.

Draco looked at her curiously but shook his head. "No, I went out of your room immediately. Is there something wrong?" he asked, feeling slightly worried.

Hermione released an obvious sigh of relief. Glad he didn't hear anything else that could shock him. "No, there's nothing wrong, Draco. Everything is perfectly fine."

The blond nodded and smiled.

The brunette smiled back and looked at her watch. It was already six in the evening. "Oh my, I stayed here for a very long time?" she asked, quickly finishing her tea.

"Err… yeah," Draco said.

Hermione stood up. "I have to go home," she said.

"Already?" he asked. His disappointment was obvious in the tone of his voice.

"Sorry," she said, giving him an apologetic smile. "I promise I will come to our meeting place tomorrow."

Draco seemed satisfied with her answer. "All right, 8:00 a.m. then?"

Hermione nodded.

"Good," he said. "Just make sure you won't faint or something." He was smirking when he said the last sentence. The brunette smiled.

"Of course," the brunette said. "Well, then, goodbye."

"Goodbye, Hermione," Draco said, standing up, too. He led Hermione towards the front door of their Manor. Before Hermione could go, the blond stopped her. "Oh, and Hermione? Make sure to bring an umbrella whenever the weather might not be good. I can't believe you have a very low immune system."

Hermione smiled again. "I won't forget that, Father, thanks," the brunette mocked. Honestly, the ten-year-old blond did sound like her fifty-something-year-old father.

Draco just rolled his eyes.

The brunette waved goodbye for the last time and went back to her temporary home.

* * *

When Hermione arrived at her temporary house, Merlin was nowhere to be seen. Not knowing what to do right now, the brunette chose to cook her own dinner. It surprised her that there were some supplies in the kitchen cabinets (Hermione didn't know if Merlin got them inside the cabinets or somewhere else).

Hermione decided to cook pasta. Once she was done cooking it, the brunette ate it, still without any Merlin in sight. The brunette presumed that the old wizard was busy doing some things above.

She then cleaned the dishes and went to bed early.

* * *

**Another disclaimer: The Twilight series are not mine. I am not Stephenie Meyer and (sigh) Edward Cullen is unfortunately not mine also. **

**A/N: End of chapter! Now, it's time for your reviews! I have bad news, though. I won't be home starting tomorrow until June 2. That's bad, I know! (Waaah!) So that means I can't update. I'm really sorry. I don't know if there would be internet in the place where I will go (btw, I'll go to Palawan tomorrow! Hurrah!) (For those who doesn't know where it is, it's in the Philippines). I can't promise to update within those days but I'll try my best. I'll bring a pen and paper so that once I come back, I'll just type and voila! I can update then. I'm really, really sorry. I'll update PiD! too.**

**With love,  
2booklover4 :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: It's obviously not mine.**

**A/N: Okay, I'm back. Forgive me if this story is shorter than the other chapters. Let's just say this is a filler chapter. Nothing really great happens here. I'm sorry but I know it is appropriate to put this chapter. I promise to all of you, though, that the next chapter will be longer. I already finished typing it and well, it is longer. Anyway, back to the story.**

**

* * *

****Invitation**

_  
May 28, 1990_

Hermione was walking towards their meeting place, feeling very eager. These past few days, the brunette had grown very fond of the 9-year-old Draco Malfoy. Honestly, he was more tolerable than the 17-year-old jerk. The brunette contemplated the reason why he had become like that in school. But then again, he was living with Lucius Malfoy, the most loyal Death Eater of Voldemort. Hermione shivered, thinking what could have this poor excuse of a Father did to his son.

The brunette now was wearing another turtle neck long-sleeved (this time, it was color red) and jeans. _'A Gryffindor color,' _she thought, brushing off invisible lint. _'I wonder what Harry and Ron are doing right now,' _she thought. _'I wonder if Harry succeeded in killing Voldemort.' _

Hermione sighed. If she wanted to know her answer, she had to accomplish her plan. She then tied her hair into a high ponytail while continuing to walk. Thinking about her friends made her more depressed and lonely. She missed them very, very much.

She then let herself smile once she saw the little blond waiting for her, clutching Mr. Beady close to his chest. Every time she saw Draco, her nostalgia just miraculously disappeared without any reason at all. But at the same time, he also let her remember that the person she really, really liked ever since first year had killed her. Her smile faltered a little. What if this little boy discovered that she was already dead and his 17-year-old form was her murderer? Hermione was sure he would be shock which was good since she knew that there was still kindness in his heart.

Draco looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps and smiled. Hermione was approaching him and apparently, she was thinking. His smile faltered. He had a feeling that she was thinking about her friends and her home.

He hated to admit it but he was afraid that she would soon go away and leave him. Draco had been attached to her and he was afraid their attachment would break once Hermione finished her 'Head Girl duties' and she went back to Hogwarts. She had been his only friend – goodness, he considered her as his best friend already. And also, he knew he had a crush with this beautiful teenager. He might be almost 10 and she was 17 but, who cares? He liked her only. There was nothing wrong with that.

"Good morning, Draco," she greeted as she sat down on the bench beside him. "Good morning, Mr. Beady."

Draco grinned. "Good morning, Hermione," he greeted back. "I'm glad it didn't rain. I don't want you to get sick again."

Hermione grinned. "I'm glad, too."

They both fell into a comfortable silence, both thinking about different things.

Hermione was thinking about, of course, her life before this particular incident happened. She thought about her friends, her fellow Gryffindors, the Slytherins, her teachers, classes, HOMEWORK… everything. Her mind then drifted to the 17-year-old Draco Malfoy. As absurd as it sounded, she missed him. Yes, she did miss her parents and best friends but she missed this arrogant jerk more. Funny, huh? But it was true. His insults, his hurtful words… she missed all of them. She missed the rush of excitement and pleasure every time she made him speechless. She missed the feeling of embarrassment and defeat when _he _wasthe one who made her speechless (he was the only one who had the ability to do that). She missed the way he made her feel every time he was near. His body heat, his blond hair, beautiful silver eyes, pointed nose, pink, soft-looking lips… she blushed a little. Every Quidditch matches, she knew she only watched to see a dot in the sky wearing green Quidditch robes with blond hair. Harry and Ron would kill her if they discovered that fact.

She missed him badly, and that was stupid. But still, she missed him. Hermione sighed. She didn't really understand why she liked that stupid, albino jerk. For crying out loud there were a lot of boys in Hogwarts! But her heart chose him, and that was really, really stupid. The brunette sighed again. She didn't know what Draco Malfoy's reaction would be if he discovered the know-it-all Mudblood bookworm liked him, the rich Pureblood. Sometimes, she also daydreamed in classes about him (Hey, everyone had a right to daydream! Even Hermione Granger!) She also mused if Draco had feelings for her, too… which was preposterous, right?

Little Draco, in the other hand, was thinking about the 17-year-old Hermione. It had been a long time since he had a friend… and a crush. Actually, he never had a crush. He had girlfriends (friends that were girls, of course) like Pansy Parkinson… he shivered. Pansy was a close friend but he would never, ever imagine having a relationship with her when both of them grew up. He knew that his father was making both of them close for a particular reason – Lucius Malfoy wanted his one and only son to marry a Pureblood.

He sighed. He remembered yesterday when Hermione was talking in her sleep. He remembered that she missed home. Wasn't she happy here? Or specifically, wasn't she happy with _him_? Draco frowned. It seemed like it. Hermione missed her own best friends.

"So, Draco," Hermione said, snapping Draco out of his reveries. "Are you excited about your Mother's birthday ball? It will already be the day after tomorrow."

"Not really," the blond said, frowning.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Why not? It's your _mother's _birthday. It's a special day, you know."

Draco made face. "I don't like balls. And besides, all mother will do is show-off another _beautiful _dress that was made by some famous designers." He then placed Mr. Beady at the middle of him and Hermione. "And, she would spend an hour of… let's say… tantrum because she's old and whatsoever."

The brunette frowned. "It's a special day for a special person," she answered. "Aren't you excited?"

"Nah," the blond said. "Why should I get excited?"

"A _special _day for a _special _person," Hermione repeated. "Don't you have any surprises for her?"

Draco just frowned.

Hermione sighed. "When I was a kid, my dad and I usually make surprises for my mother on her birthday. It's fun, you know. We will all celebrate while talking some fun things about my school… their work… just anything. We make my mom feel special that day because it's her birthday. Don't you do that to her, too?"

The blond shook. "No," he said. "Mother hates surprises."

The brunette just gave him a small smile and patted his head.

"Oh, by the way, Hermione," he said as he rummaged inside his pocket. He pulled out an envelope and gave it to the brunette. She looked at it curiously and sniffed the envelope. It smelled like roses. "It's an invitation for my mother's birthday ball," Draco explained.

"I'm invited?" the brunette asked.

"No, your pet dog is invited," Draco said with dripping sarcasm.

"I don't have a dog," Hermione shot back, frowning.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Of course, you are invited. That's why I gave _you _an _invitation_, right?"

"But… why?" she asked.

"You're my friend," Draco simply said. "Remember to bring your invitation on her birthday. My father made a rule that wizards or witches without any invitations won't be allowed to come inside." He then leaned a little closer and whispered, "There will be a lot of famous and well-known magical people there, you know."

Hermione frowned. "I don't have anything to wear," she said.

"Oh," Draco said. "Well, it's not my problem. It's yours."

The brunette scowled. "Then, I guess I won't come, then."

"No!" the blond exclaimed. "Please, Hermione, come to the ball! It will be boring! And besides, Pansy will annoy me to hell the whole time."

"Pansy Parkinson?" Hermione asked.

"You know her?" he asked.

Hermione nodded, having a lie in her head already. "Her family's famous, too, you know."

Draco nodded. "Now, please come, Hermione. You will be a great company!" he said.

The brunette smiled. "What if I really can't go?" she asked. She hated balls, too. Except, of course, the Yule Ball in their fourth year. She was the date of the great Quidditch Seeker Viktor Krum.

"Then I'll refuse to talk to you forever," the blond threatened, voice dropping into octaves.

Hermione looked horrified. If he didn't talk to her, then, her mission would fail! "All right, all right, I'll come," she said. If she needed a dress, maybe she could ask Merlin. He would greatly help her.

Draco gave her the brightest smile she had ever seen. "That's great!" he exclaimed, clapping his hands.

"Do I need to bring a date?" she joked.

The blond rolled his eyes. "No, it's all right if you don't," he said. _'Because I'll be your date!' _he added in his thoughts, grinning.

"Who else will come?" she asked.

"Well, I only know a few," Draco answered. "The Notts, the Crabbes, the Goyles, the Zabinis, the Bulstrodes, Cornelius Fudge, the Parkinsons (he made a face), the Greengrasses, the Puceys, the Flints, the Montagues… that's all I know. But there will be a lot of guests."

'_Hmm… all are studying in Hogwarts except Cornelius Fudge, of course,' _Hermione mused. _'I wonder if the Weasleys will go… oh yeah, they aren't invited. The Malfoys hate the Weasleys, anyway.' _

"What are you thinking, Hermione?" he asked, snapping her out of her musings.

"Oh, I'm thinking of the dress I'll wear," the brunette casually lied.

Draco nodded. He then looked at his charmed watch. "It's 12 noon already," he said and then looked at Hermione. "Do you want to eat in the Manor, Hermione? My parents are not yet coming back. And, Dobby will be pleased to see you again."

Hermione immediately shook her head. It was not that she didn't want to go but she had some things to discuss with Merlin. "No, I think I'll just go back to my house," she said. "Thanks for your offer, though. But I'm sorry I have to refuse."

"It's okay," the blond said, which really wasn't

Hermione heard the hint of disappointment in the blond's voice and smiled.

"I can't see you tomorrow, though," Draco added. "My parents will start to decorate the banquet hall. They also want me to try some dress robes or tuxedos to wear for the ball."

"Tuxedos?" the brunette asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, my parents decided to allow people to wear Muggle clothes," Draco explained. "Which is surprising, mind you."

Hermione just nodded. "Well then, I think we'll see each other on the 30th."

"Unfortunately, yes," the blond said.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. Unfortunately? She didn't imagine in her whole 17 years here in this world that Draco Malfoy would think it unfortunate if they wouldn't see each other for a day only. The young boy really looked disappointed. "Don't worry, I promise I'll come on the 30th," she said. There, she promised. No more backing out. "What time's the ball?"

"6:00 pm," he said, giving her a smile.

Hermione just nodded. "Well, I think you need to go home now," she said. "You don't want to go home seeing that Dobby has a lot of bruises on his body because of worry for you. He might bang his head in worry, you know."

"How did you know he does that?" the blond asked, surprised. "You know, when my father punishes me because I'm being a bad boy, Dobby would punish himself for not looking after me properly. He ends up having bruises and sometimes bloody ears and nose."

"Oh, I just know that," Hermione said, thinking about Dobby banging his head against the wall when he offended Harry. That made her smile.

"I'll go now," Draco announced and stood up. He clutched Mr. Beady. "Say bye-bye to Hermione now, Mr. Beady. We won't see her 'til the 30th." The blond waved Mr. Beady's right arm, making the brunette slightly laugh.

"Goodbye," Hermione answered. "See you on the 30th." And with that, she turned around and started to walk towards her temporary house.

"Hermione!" Draco said, stopping the brunette. He watched as the brunette turned around and looked at him. The blond smiled. "Wear something beautiful on the birthday ball," he said.

"I will!" the brunette shouted back. She waved and then continued to walk back to her temporary house.

Draco's smile widened and walked back to the Manor.

He couldn't wait for the birthday ball.

**

* * *

**"Mr. Malfoy invited you to his Mother's birthday ball?" Merlin asked as he watched the brunette eating her lunch.

Hermione nodded her head since there was food inside her mouth. She then swallowed it. "Yes, he invited me," she said.

"Surprising," Merlin said, clearly amused.

"Yeah, he did surprise me when he gave me the invitation," Hermione said, showing the envelope. "I have one problem, though."

"Let me guess," the old wizard said, smiling. "You don't have anything to wear?"

Hermione nodded her head. "How did you know?"

Merlin just shrugged. "You don't have to worry about that, Miss Granger. I can help you," he said.

"How?"

"Well, by using magic, of course!" Merlin exclaimed. "It will be easy, Miss Granger. Piece of cake."

Hermione frowned. It was not that she doubted Merlin's magic abilities… she doubted his fashion sense. Merlin lived a hundred years before she was alive in this world. Maybe his fashion sense was… well… a bit bad and old fashioned. "Are you sure?" she asked, watching Merlin carefully.

"Of course!" he exclaimed. Hermione frowned when she saw a mysterious glint in his eyes. "Just trust me.'

Hermione just nodded her head.

**

* * *

****End of chapter! Now time for your reviews! **

**With love,  
2booklover4**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: sigh It's the usual, of course. **

**A/N: I'm back, I'm back, I'm back, and I'm back. Sorry for not updating soon. But anyway, it's here! The new chapter is here! Thanks for your reviews for the last chapter. I really appreciated all of them. So, okie, back to the story! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Start of Persuasion**

_  
May 30, 1990_

Hermione looked at the clock for the umpteenth time. It was already 4:00 pm. Now, she was seated on her bed in her bedroom doing nothing except glance minute by minute at the clock or stares outside her bedroom window. Awhile ago, she was talking with Merlin about King Arthur and the likes but then the old wizard abandoned her for work. So now, she was all alone in her temporary bedroom.

Hermione sighed. She still has 2 hours before the actual birthday ball of Narcissa Malfoy. The brunette then stood up and grabbed her copy of the book Twilight. She sat down on her bed and started to read her favorite book again.

Minutes passed by and her eyes started to droop in exhaustion. Hermione released a yawn and closed the book (which she had finished _again_). She glanced up at the clock and saw that it was already 2:30 pm. She yawned again. _'Good,' _she thought, _'only an hour and a half. I might as well take a short nap.' _

Hermione then lied down on her bed. Once her head touched the pillow, she fell asleep.

* * *

"Miss Granger, wake up now!" Merlin exclaimed, shaking the sleeping body of the brunette. The old wizard shook his head. Hermione sure sleeps like a log. He had been trying to wake her up but alas, Hermione continued to sleep (with the constant sleep talking, of course). "Miss Granger, wake up! You'll be late for the ball!"

Hermione emitted a soft groan. "Ten more minutes," she mumbled, covering her head with her blanket.

"I don't think so, Miss Granger," Merlin said firmly. "You only have 15 minutes to prepare."

The brunette immediately removed the cover of her blanket from her face. She suddenly sat up, startling Merlin. She looked at the clock and like what Merlin had told her, she only has 15 minutes to prepare for the ball. It was already a quarter to 6.

Hermione sprang out from her bed and rushed to her bathroom to freshen up.

After 5 minutes, she emerged from her bathroom, looking very panicky. She glanced at the clock again. 5:50 it says. Only 10 more minutes to go. Funny how she thought awhile ago that she has a lot of time before the birthday ball.

She looked at Merlin who was calmly sitting on top of her bed. "All right, Merlin. Use your magic now on me." Hermione ignored the thought that maybe her dress would be very fashionable… on the 40's. All she needs to do now is to get dressed.

Merlin pointed his wand at the brunette. After a complicated wand movement and a non-verbal spell, he was done. He looked at Hermione in amazement. "Ah, Miss Granger, you look very gorgeous," he complimented, making the brunette blush. The old wizard pointed his wand at one corner of the room and conjured a full-length mirror. He motioned her to look at her reflection.

Hermione swallowed as she slowly walked towards the mirror. What if she looks horrible? What if Merlin thinks she looks gorgeous now when in truth, she isn't? (_'No offense to you, Merlin,' _she thought)

She closed her eyes when she's already in front of the mirror. She took in a deep breath and slowly, she opened her eyes. Her jaw immediately dropped. Merlin was bloody right, all right! She looks gorgeous! More beautiful than her look in her 4th year.

She was wearing a formal dress made of rose illusion satin. It was a spaghetti-strapped dress that leads into a criss-cross design on the back. The straps were accented with tiny dark iridescent beads. The front of the dress was also embellished with beads that create a floral vine design. Finally, it ended modestly just a few inches below her knee.

Black high-healed sandals were worn on both of her feet, the long straps wrapped around her ankle. Her hair is very beautiful. It was bewitched to be silkier and smoother tied up into a loose bun with some russet tendrils framing her glowing face. An authentic red rose charmed to not to wilt was sticking on her hair.

She was also wearing a light make-up which was good since she hates thick make-ups. She was also wearing a ruby-studded earrings on both of her ears; a simple heart-shaped necklace and to her surprise (and glee), her ring designed with rubies and diamonds organized into a pretty shape of flower was worn on her finger. It was very important for her since it was given to her by her beloved mother. She remembered that she forgot to wear it when the war erupted and knew that it was placed inside her trunk in her room in the Heads' Dormitory.

"I knew you would like that," Merlin suddenly said, also staring at the ring.

Hermione looked at the old wizard, her eyes beginning to water. "Thank you," she sincerely said, feeling very grateful.

Merlin gave her a grandfatherly smile. "Now, now, Miss Granger. I don't want you to cry and ruin your make-up," he commented.

The brunette softly chuckled, blinking back her tears. "Seriously Merlin, thank you very much," she said, her ring pressed against her chest where her heart is.

The old wizard gave her another smile. "You're very welcome," he said. He then offered his arm to the brunette. "Com on, milady, I'll apparate you outside the Malfoy Manor."

Hermione gave him a brilliant smile. She then grabbed her invitation and accepted his arm. With a dull pop, they apparated.

* * *

Draco Malfoy was feeling very, very bored now. The ball had just started a few minutes ago and all he could feel right now is plain boredom. Boring people wearing fancy dresses, dress robes, and any other formal attires were gathered in their banquet hall. All they talk about was money, fame, power… booorrring. He can also hear some hushed conversations about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He made a face. He also doesn't want to hear all those conversations about Voldemort and his plans of rise of power. He had heard a few things like 'Quirrell' and 'Sorcerer's Stone' which he doesn't know at all. Wherever Harry Potter was right now, the blond pities him.

His eyes then flickered at the entrance door located on top of the stairs. It's already 6:20 pm but he still hasn't seen Hermione. Guests were already walking down the stairs and were being greeted by his mother and father.

He looked around the hall but still, there's no sign of Hermione at all. His gaze landed on Blaise who was waving at him. Draco gave him a smile. Blaise might not be his best friend but he still considers him a friend. He then approached the dark boy and chattered with him. Their topics were mostly about Hogwarts (since they'll study there next year) and of course, Quidditch.

Until suddenly…

"Drakie-poo!"

Draco cringed. Pansy Parkinson was running towards him, a wide (sickening) grin on her face. "Oh Merlin," the blond groaned.

Blaise snickered. "Better hide from the dog," he said, watching in amusement as Pansy pushed people out of her way just to let them pass this annoying girl.

The blond nodded in agreement. "Yes, I think so," he said. "See you later, Blaise." With that, Draco mingled with the noisy crowd, not wanting Pansy to find him.

* * *

"Well," Hermione said, releasing a sigh. "This is it." She pulled her hand away from Merlin's arm and started to fidget with her dress.

The old wizard looked at the brunette in amazement. "Relax, Miss Granger. You look absolutely stunning," he reassured, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

She released a nervous laugh, blushing slightly. "I'm just" – she gulped – "nervous."

"To see what Mr. Malfoy's reaction would be?" he asked, almost innocently.

Hermione groaned. "Please, Merlin. Draco's 9, I'm 17."

"He's still the same person you love, Miss Granger. I hope you remember that," Merlin stated. "And in your time, Mr. Malfoy's 17, too."

The brunette just pressed her lips together, refusing to answer. Actually, she doesn't know what to answer because honestly, Merlin's right.

The old wizard then gently squeezed her shoulder. "Now, I've got to go. Just call me when you need help or you want to go home already."

Hermione nodded. "Yes, Merlin," she answered.

"Well then, see you later," the old wizard said. And then, he apparated.

The brunette looked at the entrance door and released a puff of breath. Hermione then started to walk towards the door, unconsciously fidgeting with her dress again.

She could see two wizards standing at both sides of the door. Some late people (like her) were giving their invitations to the guards. They then will check if the invitation is true or fake.

Hermione held her own invitation and slowly walked towards the two wizards. "Umm… excuse me?" she softly said. The two wizards looked at her at the same time. One wizard's jaw dropped while the other released a soft whistle. The brunette felt herself blushing furiously. She gulped. Merlin is definitely right. "He-here's my invitation," she softly said, giving the invitation to one of the wizards. They checked her invitation, too.

"You can go inside, Miss," one wizard said.

The brunette gave both of them a small smile. "Thank you," she said. And in return, the two wizards gave her identical goofy smiles and opened the door for her.

She looked at the banquet hall in awe. Everything is grand. From the ceiling to the floor. Hermione sighed. Of course, the Malfoy clan is very, very rich. They can afford to hold grand balls… balls that are grander than Hogwarts. She wondered if Draco has to attend every ball of the Malfoys. Yes, balls are fun but sometimes, they're honestly boring.

As she walked inside, eyes were starting to ogle at her. Hermione gulped again. If two men can make her blush, the whole ball can make her blush very furiously (she's already afraid her cheeks would turn into ashes because of the heat).

Hermione nervously tucked a stray strand behind her ear.

Once she descended the stairs, she was greeted by the one and only King of Jerks (a.k.a. Lucius Malfoy). She watched in shock when Lucius held her right hand and placed a gentle kiss on it.

"Welcome, Miss – ."

"Hermione," the brunette said.

"Ah, Hermione," Lucius said. "What a lovely name for a beautiful lady."

"Umm… thank you," she meekly said, surprised that Lucius Malfoy told her she's beautiful. Hermione looked around, searching for the familiar face of Draco. Her gaze then landed on the blond. She smiled and gave him a small wave. She noticed that he was blushing. Hermione raised one brown eyebrow and started to walk towards him when one man stopped her and asked her to dance. Being polite, she didn't refuse. Soon, Hermione found herself wrapped around a stranger's arms while swaying on the dance floor.

* * *

After a couple of dances here and there, Hermione's truly exhausted. Her feet were already killing her. A lot of men asked her to dance with her. Even Lucius Malfoy asked her and for Hermione, it was very, very awkward to dance with Voldemort's right hand.

Hermione then decided to stroll outside the banquet hall to avoid proposals of dancing. She then found herself walking in the Malfoy's garden again. Now, it was illuminated with hundreds and thousands of fireflies and glowworms.

The brunette decided to walk inside the gazebo where she and Draco were when she visited the Malfoy Manor. It was also beautifully illuminated, making the gazebo look more exquisite.

Once she was inside, Hermione was surprised to see that she wasn't alone. There, seated on one of the chairs, was Draco. He was staring back at her with wide eyes and his cheeks were slowly turning into red. Hermione beamed at him. Because of the dances, she never really got the chance to talk to him. And now, he is seated alone in the gazebo. A perfect chance to talk to him.

"Hey, Draco," she said as she sat down beside him.

The blond tensed a bit, curling his hands into fists. He gulped. "Umm… h-hey."

Hermione frowned. "Is there a problem?" she asked, looking at him curiously. Draco blushed deeper under her intense scrutiny. He mentally smacked himself and willed his cheeks to turn back into their normal pale color.

"Oh no, nothing," he said in feign calmness. "I'm perfectly fine, Hermione." The truth was he was feeling very uncomfortable. Hermione looks absolutely gorgeous the first time he had seen her slowly descending down the stairs towards their banquet hall. She perfectly resembles a red rose. At first, he thought a goddess just fell down from Mt. Olympus and found her way in the Malfoy Manor. But after close inspection, it was only Hermione after all. And boy, the beautiful teenager was seated beside him. Draco gulped.

"Sooo…" Hermione said, breaking the silence, "have you enjoyed the birthday ball so far?"

Draco just shrugged. "Boring as usual," he commented. "I hate parties and balls. It's just not my type."

The brunette snorted. "Well, I think you have to endure that since you would be attending more balls once you grow up."

The blond just grinned. "Well, you. Have you enjoyed the birthday ball so far?"

Hermione shrugged. "Boring as usual," she said, mimicking Draco's words. The blond just grinned at her. "I hate parties and balls. It's just not my type. And I know you can't say that I have to endure that since I wouldn't be attending more balls once I grow up."

Draco just chuckled. "Too bad," he said, shaking his head. They again fell into a comfortable silence, both plunged in their own world. Draco was thinking about Hermione and Hermione was thinking about Draco so actually, they really weren't thinking about two different things.

"A lot of blokes had asked you to dance," the blond stated, staring at his clasped hands on his lap.

Hermione nodded. "Yeah, and my feet are killing me," she said, bending down as she massaged her right, painful foot. Draco watched her as a look of pain crossed her beautiful face.

"Does it really hurt?" he asked innocently as Hermione straightened again.

The brunette laughed. "You have no idea," she said. "I wished I just wore flat shoes. You know, I really hate wearing high-healed shoes."

Draco just smiled.

Hermione then looked at him. She smiled as an idea crossed her mind. "But, I still want to dance one more time," she said. Draco looked at her curiously.

"I thought your feet are killing you," he said in confusion. "Don't you want to rest first?"

The brunette shook her head. "Not before I danced with my favorite boy," she said, patting the blond's hair. Draco blushed, now realizing that Hermione wants to dance with him. He watched as she stood up and offered her right hand. "Come on, dance with me, Draco," she said, a wide grin on her face.

The blond frowned, his face red. "I'm smaller than you," he said, staring at her. "Shouldn't guys be taller than girls when dancing?"

Hermione just laughed and grabbed Draco's hand. "Come on, dance with me. It's all right if you're smaller than me," she said. She then placed her left hand on his shoulder and the free one held his. Draco shyly placed his free hand on her waist. And soon, the two of them started to sway together with music that was heard playing inside the Malfoy Manor.

Draco was unconsciously leaning until one side of his head was pressed against Hermione's tummy. He closed his eyes, liking the feeling. And for the very first time, Draco felt peaceful.

Hermione smiled, knowing that one side of Draco's head was pressed against her tummy. It's not hard to imagine that she was dancing with the 17-year-old Draco Malfoy while one side of her head was pressed against his chest. The brunette closed her eyes and released an inaudible sigh. How she wished that the 17-year-old Draco Malfoy knows how much Hermione Granger loves him. How she wished that when he asked her what her last words were before he killed her, she would have said 'I love you' instead of 'I hate you'. How she wished that the 9-year-old she was dancing with would miraculously turn into his 17-year-old form. Hermione then bent down and placed her chin on top of his head, her eyes still closed. How she really wished to tell the 17-year-old Draco Malfoy that she loves him oh so much.

Soon, the music inside the Manor stopped. Slowly (and reluctantly), Hermione pulled away from the 9-year-old and looked at him with a smile. Draco looked back with a smile, too.

"Now, my feet are absolutely killing me," the brunette said, laughing lightly as she sat down. Draco laughed too and sat down beside her.

Hermione then removed her sandals and started to massage her feet again.

Draco watched as she did this, still feeling peaceful even though their dance ended. "Have you ever been to a ball?" he asked, staring at the worm on the floor of the gazebo. He watched as it wriggled out of the gazebo until it disappeared.

"Once," came Hermione's response. "It was on my 4th year."

"Who was your date?" he asked, acting indifferent.

The brunette smiled. "Some famous bloke," she answered nonchalantly. "I made some girls envious, you know."

Draco rolled his eyes. "I bet you liked the attention," he said.

Hermione laughed. "Well actually, it was the contrary," she said, sighing as she leaned back on her chair. "I felt really quite uncomfortable, you know. The hairs at the back of my neck were always standing up which perfectly means that a lot of people were glaring at me." Hermione clasped both of her hands and placed it on top of her lap. She then stared at it. "There was someone who was glaring at me, too, you know. And his glare made me really uncomfortable." Hermione then scratched the back of her neck, thinking about the unnerving glares of a 14-year-old Draco Malfoy. "Though, all in all, it was an almost perfect ball. I proved to everyone that Hermione Granger is not only brains but also" – she grinned – "a beauty."

The blond rolled his eyes, though he couldn't help but grin also. "Were you that ugly in your lower years?" he asked, staring at her.

The brunette frowned. "Well… I don't really know," she said followed by a long sigh. "I don't really care about my looks when I was younger. Harry and Ron were right, you know. When I was a kid, my world only revolves around books and knowledge. Boys… well, I don't really care about them and I don't really care about what they think I look like." She then laughed, "Would you believe that most of the times, my best friends don't treat me as a girl?"

Draco just frowned. "Then, what about in your 4th year?" he asked.

Hermione shrugged. "Well, I have no choice but to dress-up gorgeously since I'm the date of a famous guy," she said. "I have to look presentable, you know. Especially if my date has a very important role."

They fell into another comfortable silence. And then, the brunette suddenly thought that since she and Draco were all alone and no one would eavesdrop, she might as well start to persuade him into telling the Ministry of Magic that his father is indeed part of Voldemort's inner circle of Death Eaters.

Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She knew that the young blond would react badly. The last time she asked about his father being a Death Eater was a proof. The brunette sighed and opened her eyes to look at Draco. It surprised her a little when he was looking at her, too.

"Is there a problem, Hermione?" he asked, concern evident in his voice. "Is there something bothering you?"

"Actually…" she said, staring at her clasped hands on her lap again. "There really is something that's bothering me." Hermione then looked at him again and stared at his big, wide eyes because of concern.

"Tell me what's bothering you, Hermione," he said as he frowned a little. "It might help you a little, you know."

"You'll get angry," Hermione blurted out.

Draco's frown deepened. "And why would I?" he inquired, raising one perfect blond eyebrow.

Hermione shook her head again. "You'll get angry with me, Draco. I know that," she said firmly, averting her gaze away from him. Instead, she looked at one firefly that was flying outside one window of the gazebo.

The blond scratched his chin in confusion. He trusted Hermione when she said that he'll get angry once she told him what was bothering her. But you see, Draco Malfoy is a very curious child. And so, biting down his lip, he whispered, "Try me."

Hermione frowned. "I told you you'll get angry with me," she said, sighing.

Draco groaned. "I'm curious, Hermione! What's bothering you… tell me!" he exclaimed,

The brunette sighed again and looked at the floor. "Remember the day when I… I asked you if your… your father is a… Death Eater?"

And there was silence.

"Draco?" she asked, still refusing to look at the little boy.

He didn't respond.

"Draco?" Hermione asked again, this time, she was slowly looking at him. And just like she expected, he stiffened, his jaw was tightened, and his eyes darkened, blazed with pure fury. Hermione sighed and looked at the floor again. "I knew you would get angry."

"I told you my father is not a you-know-what," he said through gritted feet.

Hermione shook her head and made a sad smile. "You know it's a lie, Draco," she softly said. "I know that Lucius Malfoy is really a Death Eater."

The blond growled, something that his 17-year-old self would usually do. "Drop it," he snarled.

"No," she said, shaking her head again. "I want to know if you do know if your father is a Death Eater, Draco."

"I said drop it!" he snarled louder.

"No!" Hermione exclaimed, now standing up and looking at the troubled 9-year-old in front of her. "Draco, do you think I'm blind and deaf? I've seen a lot of Death Eaters here in your mother's birthday ball."

"Then that doesn't mean my father's a Death Eater," he said in a dangerously low voice.

Hermione shook her head exasperatedly. "Draco, I've heard their plans! I've heard their plans of empowering him again! I've seen it, Draco… I've heard it." She knelt down in front of Draco and both held his shoulders. "Tell me if you know your father is a Death Eater," she ordered softly, squeezing his shoulders gently in an affectionate manner. "Please, Draco. Just tell me."

The blond didn't answer for a few minutes but then, he slowly stared at Hermione's brown orbs. The brunette softly gasped at the look in his eyes.

"Father… he's…" he stuttered. Hermione's eye misted at how vulnerable this young boy looks right now. "He…"

"DRACO!" someone bellowed. "WHERE ARE YOU?!"

The young boy flinched and looked frightfully outside the gazebo.

Hermione gulped. She knew it was Lucius Malfoy's voice.

"I… I have to go, Hermione," he whispered and stood up. In a matter of minutes, he was gone, leaving Hermione all alone in the gazebo. She stood up in her kneeling position and sat down on the chair again. She massaged her throbbing temples. She knew Draco would admit that he knows that his father is a Death Eater. He was about to say it before he went away.

Hermione closed her eyes. As she continued to meet him everyday, she was starting to understand why the 17-year-old Draco Malfoy was like that. She was starting to understand that Lucius Malfoy has a great effect in his life.

A lone tear slipped down her right face. If only Draco grew up in a different family… a loving family, maybe there would be a possibility that he would grow up being a good guy fighting for the light side. Maybe there is a possibility, a slight possibility that Hermione would be free to tell him what she truly feels.

Brushing her tear away, she stood up and summoned Merlin.

And then, she went back to her temporary home.

* * *

**A/N: End of chapter! I hope you like it! So now, time for your reviews :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Nope, sorry, not mine.**

**A/N: I'm so sorry I just updated now! Ugh, I'm really busy, you know. I'm so sorry. Homeworks, responsibilities here and there... I really have a little time to update. It's a miracle I still managed to update this week! AND, I read New Moon and Eclipse last week so I couldn't update. Hehehe, sori, I couldn't resist. I can't wait for Breaking Dawn! August 2... 3 days before my birthday! Oh the joy! Now I know what I could ask for my birthday. Anyway, I'll stop here. Enjoy reading! **

* * *

**I'm Sorry, you Stubborn Teenager**

_  
May 31, 1990_

Hermione was seated on the bench in their meeting place. She frowned and looked at the path that leads to the Malfoy Manor. She came first rather than Draco. Hermione's frown deepened. Something's making Hermione worried. Before, Draco always arrives first in their meeting place before her. But now, the brunette was utterly surprised she arrived _before _him.

At first, Hermione thought he was just playing tricks on her. She almost expected him to appear out of nowhere and shout at the top of his lungs "BOO!" Hermione almost laughed at what she had thought but then, just a small chuckle didn't escape from her mouth because you see, the brunette is worried of the blond.

Hermione thought that this has something to do with Narcissa Malfoy's Birthday Ball yesterday. She greatly feels it. The brunette sighed and leaned her head against the bench. She still clearly remembers what happened yesterday. All was well at first. Hermione danced with some strange men. And then, she and Draco were also dancing in the gazebo in the Malfoy garden. She cursed herself for bringing up the topic about Lucius Malfoy being a Death Eater. But Hermione knew it should be brought up as soon as possible. She's already done with a week. 2 more weeks before she'll know whether she'll still live or simply die.

The brunette sighed again and closed her eyes. She remembered Draco's eyes when he was just about to tell her that his father is a Death Eater. The way his eyes watered… the way his lower lip trembled. He was close in telling her that his father is a Death Eater… Merlin, he was close in crying. Hermione made a sad smile. She remembered how vulnerable the 9-year-old looked like.

Rubbing her tired eyes with her right hand, Hermione looked at the path again. Nope, Draco was still nowhere to be seen.

She then stared at her hands while she was twiddling with her thumbs. 2 more weeks and she might be able to see her best friends again. Hermione bit her bottom lip as it started to quiver. She knew she was going to cry. But no one could blame her, right? She's sent in a dimension where she really doesn't belong. This time, Hermione suspected she still has no clue she was a witch. Hermione suspected that she was with her mother and father in a bookstore right now. Oh how she missed the year 1997!

Hermione groaned. She missed Harry and Ron. She missed the jokes and pranks they do, all not failing to make her amused even though some were breaking some rules. Oh good Lord, she missed Crookshanks who would always curl on her feet while she was studying. STUDYING! She missed studying. She missed reading books in the Hogwarts library. She missed writing intellectual words on a parchment for her Potions assignment. Hell, she even misses Snape! She misses his rude comments every time she's the only one who's reciting in his class. She misses Snape who only took away house points from the other three houses except his beloved house (which is unfair, mind you). She misses the war not because she enjoys it, of course. She misses the war because… well… after that it would change the whole Wizarding World. Hermione still doesn't know if it's for the better or for the worse.

The brunette then wondered if the war was still happening. Hermione wondered if Harry already killed Voldemort. Hermione wondered – she shivered and hoped that it wasn't true – if Voldemort rejoiced and killed Harry Potter.

She scratched the back of her neck, thinking about the possible outcomes of the war. If Voldemort won, Hermione would rather chose to not to fulfill her task and would gladly let Merlin take her to heaven or hell. There is no way Hermione would live under Voldemort's power, she knew that. She knew that if ever she succeeded in her plan and go back to the present while Voldemort conquered the world, she would be treated as a slave because of her obvious parentage and blood. On the other hand, if Harry Potter won, everything would be all right. The whole world, both the Wizarding and Muggle world, would be free from Voldemort. Death Eaters would be imprisoned and put to Azkaban while they wait for the Dementors to suck their spirits away from their body. Death Eaters… Hermione's blood ran cold. The 17-year-old Draco Malfoy is a Death Eater. The whole Hogwarts School practically knows about this simple fact. Hermione felt like crying. If Harry Potter won, they would sentence all of Voldemort's followers to receive the Dementor's Kiss, including Draco Malfoy. That means Draco Malfoy would die. Hermione bit her bottom lip harder. She doesn't want that to happen, of course. Because, for the umpteenth time, she has special feelings for the blond.

Now, she doesn't know if she would be happy if either Voldemort or Harry won in the war.

Hermione immediately looked up once she heard footsteps. She smiled at the sight of Draco. It seems like he was just late. But then, her smile disappeared. A look of horror crossed on her beautiful face. Standing up and approaching the blond, Hermione exclaimed, "What happened to you?!"

She hastily walked towards him and held his chin, forcing him to let Hermione see his right cheek. There on his right cheek was a big and sickening bruise, marring his pale, handsome face. Hermione ran a finger to his cheek, not missing his flinch.

"Oh my, Draco! What happened to you?!" the brunette shrieked, her eyes wide because of surprise and worry.

"Nothing," the blond muttered. "I just got it from an accident while Dobby and I were playing."

Hermione frowned, her eyes getting watery again. "You're lying," she accused as she stared at Draco Malfoy's eyes. The brunette thanked Merlin that this boy was not yet good in hiding his emotions. His eyes were greatly telling her that what he had just said a while ago was a lie.

"I'm not," he answered back, frowning.

The brunette closed her eyes and sighed. She then had let go of Draco's chin and sat down on the bench. She then pinched the bridge of her nose, her eyes closed. With a groan, she said, "Draco, do you trust me?"

Draco looked at the brunette curiously as he slowly sat down beside her. "Of course, I do, Hermione. You're my best friend," he said.

Hermione swallowed a sob as she looked at the blond beside her. "Then, why don't you tell me the truth? You said it yourself. You trust me. There's no need to hide the truth from me, Draco. We're _best friends_."

The blond looked down, as if ashamed, and refused to look at the brunette beside her. He felt ashamed, really. Hermione's right. He trusted her but he doesn't tell her the truth. He's not to blame, anyway. He's just a child.

"Your father did that, am I right?" Hermione suddenly said.

Draco looked up at her quickly, shocked seen on his face. "How did you… I mean, no," he said, shaking his head.

Hermione laughed bitterly. "Too late, Draco," she said to the 9-year-old blond. "I'm right, aren't I? Your father did that to you yesterday."

The blond looked at his lap, refusing to look at Hermione again. The brunette patiently waited for him to tell her the truth. She knew it was hard for Draco Malfoy to tell someone what really is the truth. She knew that.

"He… he punched me… last night… just after mother's ball," Draco suddenly said in a soft voice. Hermione didn't make a sound, urging Draco to continue. "He… he said I disobeyed him. He told me I… I should only be in the… banquet hall but I… disobeyed him." Draco swallowed and rubbed his painful bruise. "And so… he punched me."

Hermione closed her eyes again, refusing to let her tears fall. "Why don't you tell the Ministry that your father is a Death Eater?" she asked him softly… pleadingly.

Draco didn't answer so the brunette opened her eyes and looked at him. Like yesterday, his eyes became blazed because of fury. He was glaring at something straight ahead.

"Draco, he's hurting you," the brunette continued when he didn't answer. "I bet all my favorite books in the world that this isn't the first time he punched you, am I right?"

The blond didn't answer again but just clenched his fist. Hermione caught the glimpse of Mr. Beady inside his jacket.

"Do you want him to hurt more people in future, Draco?" she asked, not taking her eyes away from his beloved teddy bear. "Do you want him to hurt people you care about in the future, Draco?"

Still, Draco didn't answer.

Hermione shook her head and looked at the side of his face where his bruise was. She now could notice that he was fuming. "Do you know that he's abusing you, huh? If you grow up, Draco, he might order you to do things you don't want to do. Once you grow up, he would control your whole life. Do you want that to happen to you, huh, Draco?"

No answer.

A tear slid down from Hermione's face. "I'm telling you this because I care for you," Hermione whispered, thinking about the 9-year-old Draco Malfoy and the 17-year-old Draco Malfoy at the same time. More tears slid down from Hermione's eyes. "I care for you, Draco. I really do."

And then, the bush just beside Hermione burst into flames. The brunette gasped and looked at the flaming bush back to the blond. He was not seated on the bench anymore. Instead, he was running back to his _house_. The brunette shook her head again, thinking that he used his accidental magic.

Wiping her tears hastily, she called for Merlin.

With a pop, Merlin appeared. A smile was found on his face but when he saw the burning bush, a look of surprise crossed on his face. "Oh my, what happened here, Miss Granger?" he asked, getting his wand and extinguishing the fire.

"Draco used his accidental magic, Merlin," Hermione softly said, her gaze still fixed at the path that lead to Draco's house. The brunette tried her best to get rid of horrifying thoughts which consists of Lucius Malfoy abusing his son. Hermione shivered unconsciously.

"Miss Granger, are you all right?" the old wizard asked, gazing at the brunette with a worried look on his face.

Hermione seemed like she didn't hear him since she didn't answer back.

Merlin sighed, knowing that something bad had happened. "Miss Granger, I'm going to apparate you back to your temporary home. Is that all right with you?" he asked.

Again, Hermione didn't answer.

Sighing again, Merlin took hold of Hermione's arm. With a pop, they apparated.

* * *

_June 1, 1990_

Hermione stared blankly at her white ceiling, thinking of absolutely nothing at all. The brunette knew it was already past breakfast and a few minutes before lunch judging by the fact that her stomach kept on rumbling and grumbling. But, the brunette still didn't rise up from her bed and go to the kitchen. She's just not in the mood to.

And then, there was a knock on the door.

Hermione just stared at the door, not bothering to stand up and open it. It's just Merlin, she knew it.

Again, there was a knock on the door.

The brunette sighed and closed her eyes, a headache starting to grow. _'Go away,' _she thought as she massaged her temples.

Another knock. "Miss Granger, open this door this instant," Merlin's firm yet gently voice said. "Miss Granger, open the door."

Hermione softly groaned and opened her eyes. "It's unlocked," she shouted, still not rising up from her bed. "You can open it, Merlin."

She heard the door creaking open and footsteps. The door then softly closed but still, Hermione didn't look at the newcomer.

Merlin looked at the state of Hermione Granger right now and frowned. She didn't look good at all. He slowly walked towards her bed and sat at the edge of it. "Miss Granger, do you want to eat breakfast? You missed it," Merlin asked, looking at the brunette with a worried look on his face.

"I'm not hungry," Hermione grumbled. But right after she said it, her stomach protested. The brunette slightly blushed but still refused to look at Merlin.

"I think you are hungry, Miss Granger," Merlin stated, looking at Hermione with slightly amusement. "Come on, Miss Granger, get up and we'll talk in the kitchen while you eat your brunch." With that, Merlin stood up and disappeared from her room.

Hermione sighed, knowing that she has no choice but to get up and go to the kitchens. Standing up with a soft groan, the brunette freshened up and walked down the stairs. Once she arrived at the kitchens, a mouthwatering scent welcomed her. Hermione bit her bottom lip. She's not hungry… she's famished.

She then sat down on one of the chairs and started to eat her scrumptious brunch.

Merlin had let her eat for a while, watching her carefully under his gaze. And then, he broke the silence. "Won't you meet Mr. Malfoy today?" he asked. He watched as Hermione froze and then frowned.

"No," she said, shaking her head.

"You both didn't arrange any meetings?" he asked.

Hermione shook her head. "Not really…" the brunette slowly answered. "It's just that…" – she sighed – "Maybe Draco wouldn't be there, anyway." She then bit down an apple and slowly chewed and then lastly, swallowed.

"You had a fight," Merlin said, more of a statement than a question.

The brunette frowned and nodded. She then dropped her apple on a plate and massaged one side of her temples. "You know, Merlin…" Hermione started, biting her lip. "The task you gave me of changing Draco Malfoy's heart for 3 weeks is… impossible." The brunette shook her head and took another bite from her apple.

"Why do you say so, Miss Granger?" Merlin asked.

"I've tried a lot of times already, Merlin. I've tried a lot of times to convince him to tell the Ministry that his father is a Death Eater," Hermione said, almost exasperatedly. "But I always end up angering Draco." She then drank some pumpkin juice. "You know, I think he does know that his father is a Death Eater. He just hates the idea his father is one." She then dropped her apple again on the plate and stood up. She then looked out of the window. "Merlin, really, I think I quit," Hermione said, now looking at Merlin with wide eyes. "If either Voldemort or Harry wins, I don't care. I would lose some love ones, anyway."

Merlin smiled, perfectly understanding what Hermione was trying to say. "There's still a chance for you to not to lose _a _love one if Harry Potter won," Merlin said. "And that is to continue doing your task."

Hermione shook her head vigorously. "You don't understand!" she exclaimed. "It's like I'm doing some futile work." She sat down on her chair again. "I've tried, Merlin. I promise I did. But Draco wouldn't let me help him. He continues to deny the fact that Lucius Malfoy is a Death Eater and that he would one day destroy many lives." She then folded her arms on the table and rested her head on it. "I think I give up."

Merlin made a tutting noise. "Where's the Hermione Granger I knew who won't give up easily?" the old wizard asked, looking at the distressed brunette in front of him. "Miss Granger," he said, releasing a sigh, "I understand that your task is very difficult. I know that it seems futile to continue working on it but believe me, it isn't." He then placed one gentle hand on her right shoulder. "Miss Granger, we chose you because Fate and I believe in you. We know that you would succeed in the end."

"You have a high expectation from me, you know," Hermione mumbled, still not removing her head from her folded arms on the table. "It's Draco Malfoy anyway." And then, she softly laughed a humorless one.

The old wizard then squeezed her shoulder. "You can do it, Miss Granger," Merlin reassured her. "I know you can do it. You are the best witch of your year, anyway."

Hermione shook her head. "It's useless to have brains if you have to change someone's heart," she said. She then lifted her head and stared straight at the old wizard in front of him.

"Miss Granger, let your love for Mr. Malfoy win over your hopelessness," Merlin said and watched as Hermione looked away with a blush on both of her cheeks. "I know that your help is what your beloved needs most right now."

The brunette closed her eyes. Merlin's doing it again. He's rubbing her feelings for Draco Malfoy against her face again. But still, the old wizard's right after all. She's starting to understand why this particular blond is a jerk in their school.

Hermione then looked at a certain spot on the floor. She always wanted to tell Draco that she's in love with him. In classes, in the Great Hall, in the Hogwarts Lake, in the Heads' Dormitory… anywhere, everywhere but of course, they're different. A Muggle-born (or Mudblood, as what some fondly calls them) having a relationship with a Pureblood is a taboo in the Wizarding World. It's a big no no. That's why she long gave up the idea of having a relationship with him. But she never gave up her feelings. It's still there, in her heart. It might be hidden to everyone including to Draco, but Hermione knew it's still there. It's here deepest, darkest secret but at the same time, her most prized secret of all.

So if helping him was the only way to show him how much she loves him, then, Hermione Granger wouldn't give up. She's a Gryffindor after all.

Merlin grinned at the look on the brunette's face. He knew that, like what he said, Hermione's love for Draco is winning over her hopelessness. _'Ah, the power of love,' _he thought, stroking his long beard thoughtfully.

Both were cut off from their musings when a knocking sound was heard from the main door of the house. Hermione looked at Merlin curiously who just shrugged.

"Does someone know where I am living?" she asked Merlin who again, just shrugged.

"I'll be right back, Miss Granger," Merlin said and with a pop, he disappeared.

Hermione frowned and then stood up. Whoever that someone was continued knocking on her door and whoever that someone was, he or she sure is impatient. Hermione then slowly approached the main door. And then, as she held the doorknob, she also held her breath. And then, she opened the door.

Hermione's mouth instantly fell. "D-Draco!" Hermione exclaimed, clutching her hammering heart. The blond shyly looked at her with a small smile on his face.

"Umm… hey," he said, nervously scratching the back on his neck.

The brunette looked confused for a moment, looking around the blond to see if this is some kind of a joke. Her gaze then landed on the blond again, who, surprisingly, was holding a bunch of red roses. Hermione's mouth dropped again.

Draco then slowly gave Hermione the flower who accepted it involuntarily. "Umm…" he said, scratching the back of his right ear, "I'm… I… umm…" – he swallowed – "umm… oh for heaven's sake!" he exclaimed. He said a couple of incoherent words, making Hermione look at him as if he's deranged. He then looked straight at Hermione's eyes. "I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to get angry with you. It's just that…" Draco then sighed and looked at the ground. "Look, I'm sorry." He then lifted his head and looked at Hermione again. "Do you forgive me now?" he asked with an innocent and adorable look on his face.

Hermione opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of water. She looked around again, not really sure if she's seeing right and then, she looked back at the blond. "How did you discover my home?" she asked. "I never told you about this." She then clutched the bouquet of flowers tighter.

The blond sheepishly smiled as he rubbed his itching right eye. "Well," he slowly said, "Dobby helped me, you see."

"Uh huh," Hermione said, nodding. She then looked at the flowers on her hands. "Where did you get your flowers? In your mother's garden?"

"Merlin, no!" Draco exclaimed, a horrified look on his face. "She'll kill me if she found out," he said. "Dobby helped me, too, you know. He has magic."

"Of course I know that house-elves have magic," Hermione said, frowning. "Why did you give me a flower?"

"Umm…" Draco said, not really knowing what to answer.

"Did you know that you wasted a house-elf's magic?" Hermione asked, frowning again. Inside, she was laughing out loud. She thinks it was kind of sweet that the 9-year-old gave her a flower as a peace offering.

"Err..." the blond stuttered, now frowning. He doesn't know why he's speechless right now.

"House-elves have rights, Draco Malfoy," the brunette scolded. "They are also living things who also deserved to have rights. You spoiled brats don't have to order them to do this and that just to satisfy your needs. You wasted Dobby's powers; do you understand me, Draco Malfoy?"

"Hey!" the blond exclaimed. "I didn't hurt him or something!" He then huffed indignantly. "For your information, Dobby's the one who offered to help me!" He then rolled his eyes. Draco now discovered that this 17-year-old loves to help house-elves. "So, what now? Am I forgiven?" he asked rather rudely.

"You're making an impression that your apology isn't sincere, Draco," Hermione said. "So, for now, I think I wouldn't forgive you. Good day." And with that, she slammed the door shut.

Hermione bit her bottom lip, refusing to laugh now. After waiting a few more minutes, Hermione peeked outside the window. Draco was nowhere to be seen already. And that's when the brunette burst into laughter. She laughed and laughed and laughed until her sides started to hurt and her tears of mirth started to roll down her eyes.

Wiping her tears with one hand (the other was still clutching the bouquet of flowers), she summoned Merlin.

Once Merlin arrived, he stared at the brunette who was laughing hysterical. "Did I miss a joke, Miss Granger?" he asked, even though he knew what happened a while ago. His eyes then landed on the flowers on Hermione's right arm. A small smile was plastered on his lips. Hermione doesn't know that the 9-year-old Draco Malfoy makes her more in love with his 17-year-old form.

Hermione just raised the flowers placed at the crook of her right arm. "Draco gave me flowers as a peace offering," she answered, shaking her head. "Could you conjure me a vase?"

Merlin absentmindedly flicked his wand, conjuring a vase. Hermione approached it and placed all the flowers inside the clean vase. After her small work was done, she smiled at the outcome. The brunette then looked at the old wizard, still with a small smile on her face.

"Merlin…" she slowly said as she sat down on one of the sofas. "I think I change my mind of giving up." She then looked at the vase of flowers again. "Because, you see, I think Draco's starting to let me help him."

The old wizard grinned and sat down beside Hermione. "Do you want me to continue telling you the story about King Arthur and his adventures?" he offered and watched as Hermione's face lit up.

"Yes!" she said in exclamation as she grabbed a throw pillow and hugged it against her chest.

Merlin's grin grew wide at the ecstatic expression of the brunette. This is what Merlin wanted. A happy Hermione Granger who wouldn't give up. Everything would be interesting again, in Merlin's opinion.

* * *

_June 2, 1990_

Hermione had just finished eating breakfast and was now seated on one of the couches in the living room. Merlin had left her for his work, of course, so now, she was just reading another book. Just as she was in the most exciting and most romantic part of the book, someone knocked on the door.

The brunette released a frustrated groan as she placed a bookmark on her book. She then stood up and approached the door. "All right, I'm coming!" she exclaimed as the knocking became more impatient and frantic.

Once she was in front of the main door, Hermione opened it. There, again, was the young Draco Malfoy. He was wearing his usual outfit. A grey shirt and a khaki pants. His hair was slicked back, as usual. On one hand, he was carrying Mr. Beady and on the other hand, Draco was carrying a paper bag. Its content intrigued Hermione.

"Good morning, Mr. Beady," Hermione said, looking straight at the teddy bear clutched in Draco's hand. She bit a smile when she noticed that Draco frowned.

"What? No 'good morning' to me, too?" he asked, adorably pouting.

Hermione raised one eyebrow. "Remember that I still haven't forgiven you," the brunette reminded him.

Draco closed his mouth and pouted more.

"And, why are you here?" Hermione asked, a look of nonchalance plastered on her face. She watched as Draco's frown deepened and he wordlessly gave her the paper bag. Hermione looked at it with suspicion and curiosity.

"Don't worry, it's not a bomb," the blond joked, his eyes trained at the spot near Hermione's slippers.

The brunette just rolled her eyes and opened the paper bag. She gasped at its content. Quickly pulling it out, Hermione placed the paper bag on the floor. It was a lavender-colored turtleneck sweater – Hermione's favorite color.

"I thought of giving you one since you get sick easily," Draco said, his eyes still trained on the floor. But Hermione didn't miss the small smile he was flashing. "Remember to always wear that when the weather is not good at all. I assure you, it wouldn't make you sick. Dobby, with the help of his magic again," – he didn't miss the glare Hermione gave him – "_offered_ to help me by bewitching that sweater. It's charmed so every time the owner wears it, he or she wouldn't get sick easily."

Hermione raised an amused eyebrow. "Why, thank you," she said, folding the sweater neatly again.

Draco's head shot up, a wide, hopeful smile plastered on his face. "Am I forgiven now?"

"Hmm… let me think," Hermione said, placing a thoughtful look on her face. She then scratched her chin. "No" – Draco's face fell – "but I'll still give you a chance tomorrow." And with that, she closed the door.

Once making sure that Draco already went back to his house, Hermione laughed and looked at her new sweater with admiration. Looking around to make sure that no pervert was present; Hermione removed her current sweater (a dull, white one) and wore her new one. She then looked at the full-length mirror (the same mirror Merlin conjured before Narcissa Malfoy's birthday ball) and admired herself. The brunette has to admit, this turtleneck sweater made her feel warmer and it's more snuggly than her other sweaters.

Hermione beamed and sat down on the chair again. She picked up the book and continued to read with a big, satisfied smile on her face.

* * *

_June 3, 1990_

Draco now walked towards the familiar path towards the house of Hermione. He was once again carrying Mr. Beady on one hand and another big box on the other. From the looks of it, Draco was having a difficulty in carrying both with his two hands.

He then decided to tuck Mr. Beady inside his jacket and carried the big box with his two hands. As he stared at the box, he couldn't wait but to see what Hermione's expression would be once she saw what's inside. Just thinking about her expression made Draco smile. He really hoped she would like it.

Once Draco already saw her home, his smile grew. Even though Hermione still hasn't forgiven him, Draco still couldn't help but smile. It's a challenge, he knew it was. And that made him excited. But a small part of him still feels quite annoyed the brunette still hasn't forgiven him. Actually, _she's _the one who was supposed to apologize to him, right? She angered him. Period. But actually, she was just trying to help. Draco sighed. So basically, it's still his fault since he got angry easily. He shook his head. Maybe he should learn someday to control his anger.

He then stopped outside her door. He then started to knock. The door immediately opened and there, as usual, stood Hermione looking as beautiful as before. Draco couldn't help but smile because Hermione was wearing long jeans and the lavender-colored turtleneck sweater he had given her. She was also wearing a lavender-colored headband on her head. Draco then watched as she raised one brown eyebrow while staring at the box on his hands.

"So, what is inside that box now?" she inquired, not minding to say 'good morning' or 'how are you, Draco?'

The blond secretly rolled his eyes, knowing that Hermione's a very curious person. He then gently had thrust the box on the brunette's hands, watching as her eyes grew because of curiosity. "Open it," he said. After seeing Hermione's skeptical look, the blond snorted softly. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, Hermione, but it's still not a bomb," Draco answered, earning a glare from the brunette. The blond rolled his eyes again. "I swear, it's something you would like."

Hermione looked at him skeptically again and then looked at the box. She then slowly opened it. The contents of the box made her shriek in happiness. "Are you kidding me?!" she exclaimed, removing her new set of Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. Hermione almost fainted as she saw the new book, Breaking Dawn.

She then looked at Draco who was looking at her with hopeful eyes. "I thought Breaking Dawn would be released on the 2nd of August?" Hermione asked, eyeing her new books with almost misty eyes.

"Yeah," the blond said. "But Stephenie already gave one copy to my mother since they are best buddies." At the look Hermione gave him, Draco sighed. "My mother and Miss Meyer had been friends ever since, you know. Stephenie Meyer is a witch."

Hermione gasped. "You're kidding me!" she exclaimed. Draco just merely smiled. "I never knew Stephenie Meyer was a witch."

"She is," the blond answered. "Do you like it?"

"Like it?!" the brunette said, almost practically screaming. "Merlin, no! I love it!"

Draco grinned. "Am I forgiven now?" he asked.

Hermione stopped smiling and stared at the blond. A frown then was placed on her face. "Umm…" she said. "No."

And that made Draco angry. He turned into an adorable shade of red. "No?!" he exclaimed. "No, you still won't forgive me?! What do you want now, Hermione?! I've… I've practically given you what I think you would like just for you to forgive me! And then… and then… you're telling me you wouldn't forgive me! I said I was sorry, Hermione!" Draco spluttered, still very red on his face. "I'm sorry, you stubborn teenager! I said I was sorry!"

The brunette looked at him in amazement, her jaw slightly ajar. And then, she laughed and did the unexpected.

She hugged Draco.

She hugged him very, very tight that the blond found it was very hard to breathe. Hermione laughed and hugged him tighter. "You sweet, sweet, silly boy!" she exclaimed, looking at the young boy with mirth in her eyes.

Draco, in the other hand, was very red from head to toe. Now, who wouldn't blame this cute, adorable boy? He was unexpectedly hugged by his one and only crush so it is very understandable he was blushing furiously. He then gulped. "Umm… do you forgive me now?" he asked, making a small smile.

"Of course I forgive you!" Hermione exclaimed, laughing. "I was never angry with you, Draco. I was just testing your patience."

The blond gaped. "So you mean to say I… I wasted asking help from Dobby just to discover that you weren't angry with me at all?!" he exclaimed, half-shouting.

Hermione chuckled and pinched the left side of Draco's cheek. She had pointedly noticed that the bruise on his right cheek was already gone. _'Probably it was healed by Dobby. Bless that house-elf,' _Hermione thought. "Oh, don't be mad," she said, giving Draco another one, tight hug.

Again, he turned very red from head to toe. Draco, honestly, was _never _hugged before. He was never hugged by his father, his mother, Dobby… anyone. No one had actually dared to do it. But, here was he now, trapped between the arms of his best friend. That made him grin widely and hug her back, wrapping his small arms around her midsection. _'So this is the feeling of a hug,' _he thought as Hermione started to pull back.

"Do you want to go inside?" the brunette asked. "I'll make some tea."

Draco grinned. "That's all right," he responded. And together, the two went inside Hermione's temporary home.

* * *

"Ah, I believe you and Mr. Malfoy had made up already," Merlin answered as he watched Hermione eating her dinner happily.

The brunette looked up and gave the old wizard a wide smile. "Yeah," she said with joy.

Merlin smiled back. "So, what will happen now?" he asked, watching the brunette closely.

Hermione frowned. "What do you mean what will happen now?" she asked, placing food inside her mouth.

"A few days ago, you were talking about giving up, Miss Granger," Merlin reminded her. Realization dawned on Hermione. "Do you still want to quit from doing your task."

The brunette slowly swallowed with a thoughtful look on her face. "Actually…" she slowly said, looking at the books that Draco gave her which were placed on top of vacant chair. "I think… I would still give it a try." She then shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe I _would _succeed in changing his heart."

Merlin absolutely grinned. "Perfect."

* * *

**Disclaimer: The Twilight series are not mine. Oh, and it is not true Stephenie Meyer is a witch. Hehehe, only in my story :). I do love her as much as I love JK Rowling. :) **

**A/N: End of chapter! Now time for your reviews. Anyway, if you would notice before, I always updated TI! and PiS on the same day but today, I can't since I still haven't written PiS next chapter! I'm so, so sorry but I'll try to write it this week and update it maybe... Friday or Saturday? I don't know. But thanks for your patience. I appreciate it. **

**With love,**

**2booklover4 **


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: How many times do I have to tell you that I do not own Harry Potter, eh? **

**A/N: Yes, I know, I'm back after a long, long, long, long time. It's just that, I got sick, I reflected my Quarterly tests scores (lol, though, they're quite high, I'm proud to say), writer's block (okay, I always have that), and many, many more. Now, who cares? At least I updated! Anyway, enjoy! A hundred kisses to those who will review this chapter! **

* * *

**Date With a 10-year-old **

_June 5, 1990 _

Sunlight rushed inside Hermione Granger's temporary bedroom, eager to lighten up her room. Birds chirped happily outside while flying freely and searching for their food. Trees gently danced with the light breeze, their leaves happily rustling as the trees swayed right to left, left to right. Flowers blossomed beautifully as bees perched on their nectars to get food.

Hermione slowly woke up, opening her right eye first and then her left. Slowly sitting up on her bed and rubbing her itching eye, the brunette frowned. _'Weird,' _she told herself as she stood up and looked outside the window. _'I have a feeling that today's something special.' _

The brunette then walked towards her temporary bathroom to freshen up. She stopped as she stared at her old calendar of the year 1990. June 5 it says. Hermione frowned. _'Something's special about this day,' _she told herself. _'But what?' _Her eyes then traveled to June 12, 1990, her last day. Hermione counted the days. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. She only has 8 days left to persuade Draco to tell the Ministry of Magic that his father is a Death Eater. The brunette frowned and went inside her bathroom. It seems like she needs to work double time.

After freshening up, she walked out of the bathroom until downstairs to eat her breakfast.

Once again, she was wearing the turtleneck lavender sweater that Draco gave her. She was also wearing jeans, white sneakers and her hair was tied into a hair pony. Mouthwatering food greeted her as she arrived at the kitchen. Merlin was already seated on one of the chairs, holding a newspaper. Hermione squinted her eyes and realized that Merlin was reading the Daily Prophet.

The brunette's heart soared. If that was the Daily Prophet, then there's a chance that there would be news about the Great War in Hogwarts.

"Is that the latest news, Merlin?" Hermione asked as she sat down on her chair, not taking her eyes off of the Daily Prophet.

"Yes, Miss Granger," Merlin answered, casually flipping to the next page. "Hmm… interesting."

"What date?" Hermione asked.

The old wizard looked up from his newspaper. He stared at Hermione who was looking at him hopefully. A small, apologetic smile crossed Merlin's face. "I'm sorry, Miss Granger," Merlin answered. "June 5, 1990 is the date of this newspaper."

Hermione's smile fell. "Oh," she thought, her heart dropping, too. She really hoped that she'll hear some news about her own year… the year 1997. She then looked at Merlin, a little hope now flickering inside her body. "Umm… Merlin, you can see what's happening in year 1997, right?" she asked, sounding hopeful.

Merlin nodded his head.

The smile returned Hermione's face. "Then, you could tell me what's happening in Hogwarts now!" she softly exclaimed. "You could tell me who really won in the war!"

The old wizard shook his head. "I can't, Miss Granger," he said, watching as Hermione's smile fell again. "Fate's order. She doesn't want me to tell you what's happening in year 1997 right now."

"Not fair," Hermione whispered as she held her fork to cut a small piece of her sunny side-up. "I have the right to know, you know."

Merlin made a small smile. "Of course I know, Miss Granger," he answered. "But Fate has reasons. Please understand that, Miss Granger."

Hermione sighed. "M'kay," she answered as she placed her egg inside her mouth.

Then, there was silence between the two. Merlin could feel the brunette's gloomy mood and he couldn't help but smile. If only she discovers that today's a very special day for the young man she loves. Merlin had let her finish her food first before breaking the silence. "What do you notice today?" the old wizard asked.

The brunette looked at Merlin and frowned. "Well… today's a bit weird," Hermione answered, finishing her pumpkin juice. "I have a funny feeling today's something special. Awhile ago after I woke up, my environment was extra happy today and I don't know why."

"Do you have any idea?" Merlin asked.

Hermione shook her head. "I don't have any idea," she answered.

Merlin smiled. Raising three fingers, he asked, "Any guesses? I'll give you three tries."

The brunette smiled. She remembered that they also had a little guessing game the first time she met the old wizard. "All right," she said. "But I really don't know what to guess. Could you give me a clue?"

The great wizard Merlin nodded. "Today's really special," he answered.

Hermione frowned. "That doesn't help me at all," she answered back.

Merlin smiled. "All right, all right," he answered. "Think of this very day in your past years."

The brunette's frown deepened but she fell silent, thinking very hard. _'Think Hermione. Think,' _she told herself, closing her eyes to concentrate deeply. _'What happens this day… think from the very morning of June 5.' _She had remembered owls flying towards their owners, bringing their daily mails and packages. And something was ringing inside Hermione's memory.

"_Happy Birthday!" _

She remembered that. _'Someone has a birthday… but who?' _she asked herself. Hermione looked at Merlin with a questioning look on her face. "I think I'm starting to remember it, Merlin," she told the old wizard. "I remember… someone is having a birthday today. I remembered in the past… some people were greeting someone. But _who _is that _someone_?"

"You're on the right track, Miss Granger," Merlin said, smiling at her. "You are right. Someone's celebrating his or her birthday today."

"But who?" Hermione asked, scratching the back of her neck. "I really don't remember."

"Three guesses," the old wizard said, raising three fingers again.

"Is it… Ginny's birthday today?" she asked. And then, she shook her head. "No, no, no. Ginny's birthday is on August 11." Hermione then frowned. "Hmm… Harry's birthday is on July 31. Ron's birthday is on March 1. My birthday is on September 19. Snape's birthday is… why am I even bothering to think when's Snape's birthday? Your birthday is…" – Hermione frowned and looked at him – "When is your birthday anyway?" A look of realization was seen on the brunette's face. "Aha! It's your birthday today!"

Merlin shook his head. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, Miss Granger. But today's not my birthday," he told her. The smile on Hermione's face disappeared. "And besides, my birthday is on February 29."

"Oh," Hermione answered. "February 29… that's a nice birthday. I always wanted to have my birthday on February 29. Lucky you." A look of concentration was seen on Hermione's face again. "Whose birthday? Whose birthday? Hmmm… think Hermione. Think."

The old wizard looked at her in amusement. _'She still hasn't discovered,' _he told himself.

Hermione's eyebrow furrowed. _'Whose birthday? June 5… There really is something special today,' _she told herself. And then quite suddenly, a memory rushed back into her.

"_Happy Birthday, Draco!" Pansy squealed in delight as she placed a sloppy kiss on the birthday boy. _

"_Yeah, yeah, whatever," the blond answered, wiping the pug's saliva off of his face. An owl landed in front of him. "Oh look, presents from home," he said, a little loud so that everyone could hear him. "I bet Father has an expensive gift for me. Maybe the chess set made of diamonds? I bet Weasley there couldn't afford it." _

The brunette gasped. "It's Draco's birthday today!" she exclaimed, jumping up from her chair. "Oh my God, I remember now! It's Draco's birthday today! And… and he's 10 years old already." Hermione looked at Merlin with a wide smile on her face. "I'm right now, aren't I?"

Merlin smiled. "Ah, yes, quite right, Miss Granger. Quite right," he answered, twirling his wand.

Hermione's grin widened. "Oh, how will he celebrate his birthday today?" the brunette wondered aloud. "Hmm… maybe a chocolate cake. Ugh, no. Too expensive. What about a bigger version of Mr. Beady? He loves teddy bears, anyway. But I don't know where to find one! How about a Firebolt?" Hermione shook her head. "Oh no, no, no. Firebolt wasn't introduced this year! How about tons and tons of Chocolate Frogs?" Hermione shook her head again and sat down on her chair again. "No, he has tons and tons of Chocolate Frogs in his own house. I shouldn't give him more sweets. It would give him cavities. How about… oh darn! I forgot! I don't have magic! And money! What will I give him, anyway?"

The old wizard stared at the problematic brunette. He then pointed his wand on top of the table and conjured… a money purse. Hermione immediately stopped talking to herself once she spotted the money purse on the table. Her eyes widened.

"Oh no, no, no, Merlin. I won't accept that," Hermione said while shaking her head. "Seriously Merlin! You're giving me money? I won't accept that. I really won't. I…"

"The money's not mine. It's yours," Merlin said, softly chuckling to himself and cutting Hermione off of her sentence. "I took the liberty to withdraw some money in your vault in Gringotts. I converted them into Muggle money, by the way."

"Oh," Hermione said, blushing as she also chuckled. "Right."

"Now, you can do whatever you want using that money to celebrate Mr. Malfoy's birthday," the old wizard answered. He then looked at the wall clock. "Now, off you go. Mr. Malfoy's been waiting for you already."

"Okay," the brunette said. She was just about to go out of the kitchen but then stopped to look at Merlin. "Thanks a lot, Merlin," she said with a smile.

"You're welcome, Miss Granger," Merlin said and watched as Hermione walked out of the kitchen. After he heard the closing of the main door, he flicked his wand to clean the used utensils. He then stood up and disappeared.

* * *

Little Draco Malfoy scowled. He hates this days. No, correction. He LOATHES this day. It's as if he once to shout at the top of his lungs that he bloody hates this day. He hoped that June 5 never existed. He wished that he would have the ability to skip June 5 and instead make it June 6. He cursed whoever made June 5. Why is there a June 5 anyway? Draco released a puff of breath. He really hates this day.

Because today is his 10th birthday.

The blond envies Peter Pan, a boy that never grows up. He had read it once in a Muggle book. Now, that's frustrating. He wished that he was just Peter Pan who's the leader of some lost boys. He would fight Ol' Voldie wearing Captain Hook's custom together with his men who works in his precious Jolly Roger. He wished he could fly above the clouds without using any broomsticks. And most of all, he wished he has a Wendy… a Wendy that suspiciously looks exactly like a particular 17-year-old teenager.

And that 17-year-old teenager was seen walking along the path, wearing the turtleneck lavender sweater (Draco pointedly noticed) with jeans. Hermione was also wearing a big, bright smile. With this sight, Draco's scowl deepened. Why does she have to be in a good mood while he's not? Not fair.

And the reason for her good mood was immediately known to Draco.

"Happy Birthday, Draco!" she greeted enthusiastically. If it's possible, her smile grew larger.

Draco groaned. _'How does she know?' _he asked himself. He hissed softly. He has a suspicion that Dobby opened his big mouth and told Hermione that it was his birthday today.

Upon seeing his rather bad mood on this very special day, Hermione's smile faltered. She stopped near the bench and sat down on it just beside the scowling blond. Mr. Beady was seated on his lap while being supported by Draco's right hand. "Umm… didn't you hear me?" she asked.

"I heard you, all right," he said, sounding very annoyed.

A confused look crossed the beautiful brunette. "Is it your birthday today?" she asked, having a feeling that what Merlin had told her was a mistake.

"It is," he said. "My 10th birthday. And I hate it."

Hermione frowned. "It's a special day today, Draco. It's _your _birthday. Today's the day you were born here in this world. Aren't you happy?" she asked. "And for heaven's sake, put that scowl away, will you? It doesn't suit you at all."

Draco didn't obey the older girl. "I hate this day," he said again, his frown not leaving his pale, handsome face. He then looked at Hermione. "Hermione, why can't I be Peter Pan?" he asked.

The brunette looked confused again. "Peter Pan? The boy who doesn't grow up?" she asked. Draco then nodded. "Why do you want to be Peter Pan?" she asked.

"Because he doesn't grow up," the blond reasoned. "I hate growing up, Hermione. I don't want to be an adult."

"And why don't you want to be an adult?" Hermione asked, raising one eyebrow.

"I don't like what my parents are doing," he answered. "I don't like what the adult visiting balls in the Malfoy Manor do. I don't like the topic of their conversations. Boring, I tell you. I don't like the way they have to think about a lot of stupid things. And most of all, I don't like to have a wrinkly skin and super duper white hair. I think they won't suit me at all."

Hermione looked at him in amusement. _'Amazing,' _she thought. _'He's showing his narcissistic side.' _"Growing up is part of life, Draco. Everyone undergoes that stage. Including you. There's no exception. As for Peter Pan, he's fictional. And besides, aren't you excited to encounter more exciting things in life. You'll experience those once you grow up. You can't be forever young, Draco."

"But I want to be Peter Pan!" he whined. Hermione rolled her eyes. _'Uh-oh, here comes his stubbornness,' _she thought. "I want to fly without using any brooms, Hermione! I want to have a secret island called Neverland. I want to… to be the leader of some boys. Now, that's exciting. I want to fight Captain Hook in his precious Jolly Roger. I want to… I want to meet Wendy (_'Who looks exactly like you.'_)."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I told you, Draco. Peter Pan is not true. You can't fly without a broom. There are no lost boys. There's no Neverland. There's no Captain Hook. There's no Jolly Roger. There's no Wendy (Draco noticeably frowned when Hermione said this). Peter Pan and his gang are fictional. Okay? So, if you like it or not, you'll grow up," the brunette exclaimed.

Draco just continued to frown and hugged Mr. Beady to himself tighter.

The brunette sighed. "Anyway, don't you have any party in your Manor, Draco? It's the Malfoy heir's 10th birthday. Don't you have any planned balls?" she asked.

The blond shook his head. "Malfoys have balls when they're 13-years-old already," he answered the brunette.

Hermione then frowned. "Then, don't you celebrate your birthdays even if you're still not 13-years-old?" she asked.

Draco shook his head. "Nope," he simply answered.

A shocked look crossed Hermione's face. "You don't celebrate your birthday?" she asked.

The blond merely shook his head.

"Where are your parents?" she demanded.

Draco shrugged. "Having their umpteenth honeymoon somewhere in Africa," he said.

Hermione sighed and frowned. "You really don't celebrate your birthday?" she asked.

"I told you - ."

"Did your parents greet you already?" she asked, not letting him finish his sentence.

Draco frowned. "Are they supposed to?"

The brunette gasped and shook her head. "Let me guess, I'm the first one who greeted you 'Happy Birthday'," she said.

To her surprise, Draco shook his head. "It was Dobby," he explained.

"Okay, let me rephrase that," Hermione said. "I'm the first _human _who greeted you 'Happy Birthday'."

Draco nodded.

Hermione puffed a frustrated breath. "Okay," she said.

The blond looked at her with a curious look on his face. "Is there something wrong?" he asked.

'_Of course there's something wrong!' _she exclaimed in her minds. Hermione was about to answer the 10-year-old blond when she felt the weight in her right pocket. She inserted her right hand inside it and grasped her purse that was given by Merlin. An idea suddenly crossed her mind while a wide smile graced her lips.

Draco raised one, blond eyebrow at Hermione's sudden change of expression.

"Do you want to celebrate your birthday today?" she asked, excitement evident in her feminine voice.

The blond frowned. "I… don't know," he said slowly, watching Hermione carefully.

"Oh come on!" she exclaimed. "It's my treat!"

Draco sighed. "Do I have a choice?" he asked.

Hermione softly squealed in excitement and pulled Draco up. "Come on, then!"

The blond groaned. _'What now?' _he asked himself and allowed Hermione to drag him in Merlin-knows-where.

* * *

Draco stared at the building in front of him, wide-eyed. Hermione was standing beside him, a wide grin plastered on her face. The blond frowned and stared at the illuminated letter 'M' on top of the building. _'What is this place?' _he asked himself. Hermione had dragged him here… here in this weird place where people were wearing weird clothes holding weird things… Draco's eyes widened as he stared at Hermione again. "Are we in the Muggle world?" he asked her, starting to get a bit panicky.

Hermione's smile faltered. "Yes, we are," the brunette answered.

A look of horror crossed his face. "Oh no! I have to get out of here!" Draco exclaimed, making a move to run away from this… this weird place! "I can't be here! Father will get angry with me!"

The brunette sighed and calmly held the frantic boy's right arm. "Calm down, Draco," Hermione said. "You told me your parents are having their umpteenth honeymoon somewhere in the hot deserts in Africa. There's no way they would know that you're in a Muggle place. Unless… you have some tracking device attached to you."

The blond sighed. This teenager is absolutely, undoubtedly stubborn. "All right, fine," he said, pouting. "What do you call this place, anyway?"

"This," Hermione said, the wide grin back on her face, "is what you call ingenuity."

Draco raised one, lone eyebrow. "What?"

Hermione sighed and released a low chuckle. "McDonalds," she said.

"Huh?"

The brunette rolled her eyes. "You never heard of McDonalds before?" she asked.

Draco shook his head.

"Oh, poor, poor you!" Hermione exclaimed as she went inside the fast food restaurant with a confused boy trailing behind her. A security guard opened the doors for them. "Thank you," Hermione said, smiling at the person. The brunette then looked around for a vacant table. Upon spotting one, she immediately approached it and sat on one chair. Draco followed suit.

"What now?" Draco asked, looking around. He frowned as he saw kids happily playing around. Some where sliding down some slides, some were running around.

"Want a hamburger?" Hermione asked.

"A what?" the blond asked, scratching the back of his neck. Hermione had found it quite adorable.

"A hamburger," the brunette said again. "Want one?"

"Yeah, whatever," the blond answered.

"Oh come on, Draco!" Hermione exclaimed. "Cheer-up! It's your birthday today! You should be in a good mood!"

The blond just rolled his eyes.

Hermione sighed and stood up. "All right, wait for me here. I'll order our food." With that, Hermione then waited in line. Draco grew more and more impatient as he waited for the brunette to buy their food. Finally, she arrived, carrying a tray. She placed it on the table. She gave Draco his 'hamburger' which he accepted. Hermione also gave him a softdrink. Draco noticed that the brunette ordered a hamburger, too.

The blond stared at the hamburger on his hands. Carefully, he removed the wrapper. He stared at his food. No… he stared at the thing. It doesn't look like food to him. He frowned. It's shiny, which means it's oily. _'Bleh,' _he thought, his face contorting into disgust. He opened the bun and greasy meat, cheese, mayonnaise, and a lot of other colorful things greeted him. He stared at the greasy meat. It reminded him of his Uncle Severus' hair. Draco shivered in disgust. There's no way he'll eat something closely resembling his Uncle's disgusting hair. He then raised the 'thing' towards his nose and sniffed it. _'Hmm… not bad,' _he thought. Draco then looked at Hermione. She was closely observing him for his reaction. The blond shrugged then took a tiny bit. And then, he slowly chewed until, he stopped.

The brunette still looked at him. "Well?" she asked. "How was it? Is it delicious? What?"

Slowly, very slowly, a grin formed on Draco's face. He then swallowed the tiny piece of hamburger. "Yummy!" he exclaimed, taking another bite. "You're right, Hermione! This McDonalds is what you call ingenuity. Their hamburger is… is indescribable! I don't know how to explain how good it is into words."

Hermione laughed at the birthday boy's amusement with the hamburger. She also took a bite on her hamburger. "I bet you never tasted anything like that before," she said, a large grin plastered on her face.

Draco nodded. "Yeah," he answered.

They ate their food in comfortable silence. Some minutes, they talk about any things. Just anything. Once they finished eating, Hermione stood up. Draco was about to follow but the brunette stopped. "No, stay there, Draco," she instructed. "I would be going outside."

"Why?" he asked.

Hermione smiled. "Secret," she said. Draco rolled his eyes. He has a great feeling that what she was going to do outside concerns him.

The blond sighed. "Fine," he said.

The brunette then looked at him seriously. "Now, Draco," she said, eerily sounding like a mother. "Don't go anywhere else, okay? If you need something… umm… just wait for me. I will come back as soon as possible. Is that clear?"

"Yeah, yeah," the blond said, playing with the wrapper of his hamburger.

"Good," Hermione said. She then walked out of the fast food restaurant.

As soon as Hermione was out of McDonalds, she looked around, hoping to find a pastry shop. Yes, Hermione was going to buy the birthday boy a cake. Upon spotting one, Hermione immediately rushed inside the pastry shop. The small bell above the door tingled as she opened it. Some workers there looked up and smiled at her for greeting. Hermione, in the other hand, smiled back.

The brunette then looked at the mouthwatering cakes. There were different kinds of cake, different flavors. Hermione particularly chose one (the chocolate cake with caramel inside) but was shocked to find out it was too expensive. Hermione rummaged inside her pocket and pulled out her purse. She frowned. She doesn't have enough money anymore. She looked at the other possible cakes, but like the first one, it was too expensive. Hermione sighed. She guessed she couldn't buy him a cake anymore.

Hermione was just about to step out of the store when she spotted some cupcakes that they are selling. The brunette scratched the back of her neck. _'Hmm… maybe that'll do,' _she told herself as she approached the cupcakes. Hermione chose one chocolate cupcake and bought it.

Thanking the worker, Hermione walked out of the pastry shop towards McDonalds again.

* * *

Once Hermione was inside the fast food restaurant, the first thing she did was look at the table where she left Draco. But there was something wrong. He was not there! A horrified look crossed on Hermione's face as she looked wildly around. The cupcake on her hands was in danger of being crushed into pieces.

'_Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!' _Hermione thought frantically, still wildly looking for the shocking, blond hair of the birthday boy. _'Okay, relax, Hermione. He would be all right. He would be all right,' _she repeated again and again. Hermione was about to go ask the security guard if he had seen a little boy, about the age of 10 ("And actually, it's his birthday today," she planned to add), with blond hair which was almost white but then, her gaze landed on the mini playground in McDonalds. Hermione released a huge, _huge _sigh of relief as she saw him sliding down the mini slide. "Draco Malfoy!" she exclaimed as the blond planned to climb up again.

The blond immediately looked at the owner of the voice and his smile became larger (if possible) at the sight of her. "Hermione!" he said happily and ran towards the waiting brunette. Hermione noticed some parents admiring Draco. _'Maybe wishing that he could be their child. Ha! If only they know him,' _the brunette thought. "You're back!"

"What did I tell you awhile ago, young man?" Hermione scolded, frowning at the blond. "Didn't I tell you to be a good boy and wait for me in our table?"

Draco adorably pouted. "I'm sorry, Hermione," he said, sounding really sincere. Hermione raised an eyebrow in amusement. "It's just that… well… I saw some children playing there and I wanted to play, too, so I played. You get me?" he asked, now smiling widely.

Hermione sighed and couldn't help but return his smile. "All right, all right, I forgive you but don't do that again, okay?" she said. "Don't make me worry for you again."

The blond eagerly nodded. "Okay," he said. Both then sat down on their place again. "Where'd you go, Hermione?" he asked.

The brunette smiled and showed him the chocolate cupcake she bought. "I'm sorry. I was supposed to buy you a cake but the cakes they're selling were too expensive." Hermione frowned a little, but then, it transformed into a smile again. "Oh well, at least I bought you a cupcake."

And there was silence except the noises of the other customers.

Hermione frowned. "Draco?" she asked, looking at the expressionless face of the blond. "Don't you like it?" The brunette was startled when he snatched it quickly.

"No, no, no, I like it. I like chocolate cupcakes," Draco said softly. He was avoiding Hermione's gaze. "I just… I had never eaten cake in my whole life. My parents weren't bothered in making or buying cakes for their birthdays or my birthdays."

The brunette smiled and pinched Draco's cheek. "Oh, you're so cute," she said, making the little blond blush. "I'm really sorry for not buying you a cake."

"Maybe, you can buy me some on my next birthday," he suggested, now smiling endearingly.

That wiped away Hermione's smile because on his next birthday, she'll be gone. _'Only 8 days, Hermione,' _the brunette reminded herself. She cleared her throat and forced a smile. "Oh, right, maybe."

Draco smiled. He was about to take a bite from his cupcake but stopped. Raising an eyebrow, Hermione watched as the blond broke the cupcake into two. The other half was his and the other half, he gave it to the brunette. "I can share," he said.

Hermione smiled and took the other half of 'Draco's shrunken cake'. The brunette took a bite. "Hmm… that tastes nice," she said after swallowing.

Draco took a bite and then nodded. "Yeah," he answered back.

"Say… do you want to go to a bigger playground?" Hermione suggested.

Draco Malfoy never smiled so wide before.

* * *

"Careful there, Draco!" Hermione warned the blond who just climbed on the slide and slid down on it for the umpteenth time.

"Aw, you're no fun, Hermione!" the blond shouted back as he climbed on the slide again and slid down _again._

The brunette sighed and just smiled. She was back in a playground. The last time she remembered going here was when she was 10-years-old, just like the little blond right now.

She was sitting on the swing, her favorite part in the playground. She likes to swing back and forth, back and forth. She loves the feeling of the wind against her face. The brunette closed her eyes and sighed again. Truly, she feels like a child again.

Across the playground, she could hear Draco's laughter. Something warm was forming in her heart. Again, she had heard him laugh. She remembered his laugh on the day he agreed to be a friend to her. His laugh was so, so sweet. She was forgetting again that this boy became a bully once he started to study in Hogwarts.

Hermione immediately cracked her eyes open once she heard the neighboring swing creaking. Sitting on one of the swings was Draco Malfoy. He was still softly laughing as he swung back and forth, back and forth.

"It's so nice to be here, Hermione," the blond said. "I want to stay here forever!"

The brunette chuckled. "You don't want to go home anymore?" she asked.

Draco's smile faltered. "Umm…" he said, not really sure what to answer.

Hermione became alarmed. "Err… don't answer that. Never mind," she said hastily. The blond nodded his head and swung back and forth again.

There was silence between them as they continued to enjoy riding the swings. Draco gave the brunette a side-glance and admired how her hair billowed behind her, how her smile widens when she meets the wind, how her cheeks turn into a shade of pink because of happiness. The blond immediately averted his gaze away from the teenager, blushing a little.

The brunette then fingered the ring worn on her hand and an idea struck her. She abruptly stopped swinging and looked at Draco. "Hey, birthday boy," the brunette said, now holding her ring. "I'm going to give you something."

Draco immediately stopped, too, and looked at Hermione. "What is it?" he asked.

"Well…" the brunette removed her ring. A horrified look crossed on Draco's face.

"You're engaged?!" he exclaimed, jumping into conclusions. Well, he wouldn't be blamed. A girl plus a ring equals engagement or marriage. Draco chose engagement since he didn't want to believe that Hermione, _his _Hermione, is married with some other guy already.

Hermione, in the other hand, was looking at Draco with wide-eyes. "Of course not, silly," the brunette said, chuckling slightly. She pointedly noticed the huge sigh of relief that the birthday boy released. "This ring was given to me by my mother. It's very important to me." She then handed it to Draco who accepted it.

Curious, the blond frowned. "What will I do to this?" he asked.

"It's my birthday present," Hermione simply said.

Draco looked at the design of the ring Hermione gave him. It was designed with rubies and diamonds organized in a beautiful shape of flower. In short, it was really designed for girls. The blond scowled. He then gave it to Hermione who was looking at him curiously. "I don't want it. It's too sissy for me."

Hermione huffed. "Fine, then don't want it," the brunette said. "Remember, it's important to me, Draco. I gave it to you. It means something."

Yes, it definitely meant something for the blond because he snatched it away from the brunette again. He was still scowling, though. "Fine, fine, I like it," the blond said (who knew that he was slightly lying). "But…" he examined the ring again. "It's really too sissy for me, Hermione. Too sissy."

The brunette sighed. An idea then struck her again. "All right, just promise me that you'll give that ring to the girl you will love for the rest of your life," Hermione told the blond.

Draco made a face. "That wouldn't happen. Malfoys don't love."

Hermione snorted. She honestly thought that it was loads of rubbish. "Just promise me, Draco."

He rolled his eyes. "All right, fine, I promise."

The brunette grinned widely. "Now keep that ring and don't you dare lose it," she said. "I'll hate you forever if you did."

"Yeah, yeah," Draco said as he unclasped the necklace he was wearing (Hermione noticed that he was wearing a pendant with the Malfoy crest) and inserted the ring inside it. "I won't lose it."

Hermione smiled again. "Then, that's settled."

* * *

Draco and Hermione were now strolling back towards their meeting bench. It was almost dinnertime now so they both decided to return back.

"It's fun today, Hermione. It really was," the blond honestly said. "Though, my parents would get furious if they discovered that I went to Muggle places on my birthday. But still, I greatly enjoyed it."

Hermione chuckled. "I'm glad you did, Draco," the brunette said. "That's what you are supposed to be feeling on your birthday. Enjoyment. Now, I'm glad you felt that."

The blond grinned. He then looked at his magical watch and sighed. "Well, I guess I got to go home now. My parents would be arriving in the Manor any minute already," he said.

The brunette nodded her head. "Well, I go to go now, too. I'm still making my dinner," she said, though, she knew that Merlin already made one for her. Hermione grinned. She made a mental note to thank the old wizard once she's in her temporary home already.

"Well, then, goodbye Hermione," the blond said. "I'll see you tomorrow… ugh, I remembered I can't. My parents and I will have a dinner somewhere…"

"It's all right," Hermione answered. "Then I'll see you on June 7, then."

"Yeah," Draco said. He then smiled. "Goodbye again."

And then, Hermione did something really unexpected. When she did this, Draco's eyes widened. When she did this, pink patches formed on both of his cheeks. When she did this, Draco saw fireworks. When she did this, somewhere in the forest, a wolf howled. When she did this, Draco's heart started to beat faster. When she did this, it absolutely, definitely, certainly completed his day… his 10th birthday.

Hermione kissed his right cheek.

"Happy birthday again, Draco," the brunette said while grinning. She then turned around and walked back to her temporary home.

The blond still stood rooted on the spot, staring at Hermione's retreating back. He touched the place where Hermione had kissed him and blushed deeper. Somehow, he managed to think that he didn't mind if he's not Peter Pan anymore. He didn't mind anymore if he grows up. He didn't mind anymore if he couldn't fly without any broomstick. He didn't mind anymore if he couldn't fight Captain Hook and his troop in their precious Jolly Roger. And his reason?

He already has a Wendy.

Chuckling to himself (still blushing), Draco walked back home. Truly, his day was complete.

Up in the sky, Merlin chuckled to himself in astonishment and disbelief. Of course he witnessed everything. "This is getting more interesting," he told himself aloud. Merlin then sighed. He apparated to go back to Hermione's temporary home.

* * *

**A/N: And that's the end of Chapter 9, my dear readers. I made it quite long for all of you! Anyway, I really thank all of my dear readers of being so patient and still supporting this story. Thank you so much! Okay, I'll only remind all of you that Hermione only have 8 days to go. Though, my next chapter would already be on June 7, 1990. I'm skipping days, okay? Since this is Chapter 9 already, there would only be 6-7 chapters to go. I estimated this story to have a total of 15-16 chapters. That's all :D**

**With love xoxoxoxo,**

**2booklover4**

**PS:**

**Okay, my next update will be for PiD! That's all. 2booklover4 xoxoxoxo**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Don't sue me. I'm not JK Rowling, okay?**

**A/N: I'm back! I'm back! I'm back! Yes, chapter 10 is here. I'm sorry for the long wait, though. My class has a play of R and J so we need to prepare. Anyway, it's done already. I have a confession though. I was still thinking of updating TU! on Sunday but I did it right now. I'm quite nervous because today's our Report Card day. Anyway, just enjoy reading this chapter! **

* * *

**I Like You!**

_  
June 7, 1990 (Morning, Around 9:00 am)_

Hermione was patiently waiting for the little blond in their usual meeting place, on the bench. She was fiddling with a loose string from her white blouse (she was wearing a white blouse with a skirt that ended just above her knees. She was also wearing a white, simple headband). Softly humming a make-up tune under her breath, Hermione looked around for any hint of Draco. Seeing none, she went back into playfully fiddling with the loose string.

The brunette then sighed, feeling quite bored already. Yesterday (June 6), both of them didn't meet with each other because like what Draco had told her on his birthday, he would have some dinner with his family. Hermione couldn't help but to smile. Maybe, they were going to celebrate Draco's 10th birthday after all. But yesterday, she was really, really bored. She'd practically read every book in her room (including Draco's gifts) and Merlin said he has work to do, so Hermione was left all alone in her temporary bedroom doing nothing except frowning and wishing that Draco shouldn't have gone with his parents to have some dinner.

She immediately looked up as she heard some footsteps. A smile graced her lips as she saw Draco approaching her. Mr. Beady was clutched tightly against his chest. Hermione's smile instantly disappeared as she saw Draco's face. He was bothered and distracted, Hermione noticed. A huge (adorable) pout was seen on his face. His eyebrows were knitted together. His eyes were unfocused. Yes, there's something wrong with 10-year-old Draco Malfoy.

"Draco," Hermione called out even if the blond still hadn't arrived beside her. But the blond didn't answer. He continued to trudge toward the bench, his expression still not changing. "Draco," Hermione tired again. But still, he didn't answer.

When the blond was already near her, Hermione reached out and held his right arm. Draco slightly jumped in surprise. His eyes landed on the brunette and instantly, the bothered and distracted expression went back into his face. This time, though, Hermione noticed that huge dread was there, too.

Hermione pulled Draco until he's seated beside her. "Tell me what's wrong, Draco," Hermione softly whispered, rubbing his right arm slowly to give him some comfort.

At first, Draco didn't answer at all. He just stared at Mr. Beady with the dread in his eyes. Hermione has a suspicion he would cry anytime. But of course, he's a Malfoy and like what Draco told her, Malfoys don't cry.

"Draco…" she tried again but then abruptly stopped when Draco whispered something. "Pardon?"

The blond still refused to look at her, his mouth set into a thin line.

"What did you say, Draco?" Hermione said, shaking the blond slightly. Worry now was etched on her beautiful face.

He slowly looked at her with a grim look on his face. "Hermione, will you get angry with me if you discovered I'm bad?" he asked in a whisper. He averted his gaze away from Hermione again.

Hermione frowned. "What are you talking about, Draco?" she asked. "And, I won't get angry with you. I think… I think it's normal for people to sometimes… sometimes become bad." The brunette's frown deepened. She was unsure of her answer. Hermione then looked at the blond again and sighed. He was really pouting and his eyes really showed dread. "Tell me what's bothering you, Draco," she persuaded. "Please, I'm getting worried."

Draco looked at her and bit his bottom lip hesitantly. "Yesterday," he started in a whisper. He cleared his voice. "Yesterday, my parents and I went to some restaurant somewhere in Australia."

Hermione raised an eyebrow in surprise. _'Dinner? In Australia? Seriously?' _the brunette thought while shaking her head. Of course, they're Malfoys. They can have dinner anywhere they want. Hell, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy even had their honeymoon for the umpteenth time somewhere in the Sahara Desert in Africa. So, if they had dinner in some parts in North Pole, Hermione wouldn't get surprised anymore. "And then, what happened?" she asked, looking at Draco intently.

The blond gulped. "My father… my father told me something," he whispered, scratching the back of his neck nervously.

The brunette looked very, very worried right now. The hand still clutched on one of Draco's arm quivered slightly. "What… what did he tell you?" she asked in a low whisper, as if afraid that someone might eavesdrop.

Draco looked distressed. "Oh, Hermione! I admit! I admit!" he suddenly exclaimed, surprising Hermione. "My father's bad! My father's bad!"

Hermione looked confused. "What are you talking about, Draco?" she asked. "And for heaven's sake! Calm down!"

"I lied to you, Hermione," he said. "I lied to you. My father's… my father's really a Death Eater. I knew it all along."

The brunette's blood ran cold. Not because Draco admitted his father's a Death Eater, no. But because of the expression of Draco's face when he admitted this. Shame. He was ashamed. He was ashamed his father's a Death Eater. Hermione raised her right hand and placed it on top of his head. And then, she ran her hand through his hair (_'It's so soft,' _the brunette absentmindedly thought) again and again. She thought that maybe this would comfort him a bit.

"Now, you hate me, Hermione! You hate me!" the blond wailed. The shame was still there, marring his handsome face.

"Shhh…" the brunette said. Draco wasn't crying but she knew how truly awful he felt. "I don't hate you, Draco." She ran her hand through his hair again. "I can't… I never will." And that was the truth. She can't hate him. Never.

Draco looked so confused right now… so ashamed… so afraid… so worried. "Yesterday, my father told me about his future plans for me," he continued.

Hermione abruptly stopped running her hand through his hair and froze. She had a suspicion about the topic of their conversation.

And hell, she's right.

"One of his future plans for me was to… to marry me with Pansy Parkinson," he said and made a disgusted face. Hermione didn't have the heart to laugh right now because of her suspicion. "And another… another is to" – he obviously gulped – "make me a Death Eater ones I become a 16-year-old teenager." The last words were whispered so soft Hermione almost didn't hear it. But almost only. She had heard it.

Instantly, Hermione paled. The hand on Draco's head silently quivered. Flashbacks of the night when Death Eaters attacked Hogwarts on their 6th year came. Closing her eyes, Hermione was forced to remember the time when she saw Draco Malfoy running side-by-side with Severus Snape away from Hogwarts. And she knew… she very well knew that time that Draco Malfoy was a Death Eater already. She looked at Draco, panicky. The blond looked back with equal panic. And then, Hermione did the unexpected again.

She hugged him. So, so tight.

A tear slipped down Hermione's right eye. "Why don't you tell the Ministry of Magic, Draco?" she whispered. "Why?"

"I… I'm afraid, Hermione," he told her in a whisper. His small hands were now wrapped tightly around Hermione's midsection. "I'm afraid they won't believe me. I'm afraid my father would punish me."

Hermione sniffed. "Don't get scared, Draco," she said followed by a soft cough. "You know that what you're going to do is the right thing."

The blond started to rub Hermione's back in comfort. He pulled away and stared at the crying Hermione. Draco couldn't help but to make a small smile. Hermione truly cares for him. That's why he likes her. That's why she's his first crush. Draco sighed. It's nice to know that someone greatly cares for him. Draco raised his right hand and brushed Hermione's tears away using his little thumb. "Don't cry, Hermione," he softly said.

Hermione released a wet chuckle. "I'm sorry," she said. "I think it should be you who's crying right now, not me."

Draco sighed. "Now, you hate me," he said. "Because I'm destined to be one of those Death Eaters."

The brunette shook his head. "I told you I can't hate you, Draco," she reminded him. "And, honestly answer this. Do you want to be a Death Eater?"

The blond shook his head. "I don't want to," he told her. "I don't want to be a Death Eater."

Hermione smiled. "Then, I won't hate you if it's against your wishes," she told him. Draco smiled back.

"Thanks Hermione," he told her. "You made me feel better."

The brunette kissed the top of his head. "Anything for my best friend," she told him.

The blond blushed slightly. "Umm… can we go back to the Muggle playground later, Hermione?" he asked her.

"Of course," she answered.

Draco positively beamed brightly. "All right," he said. "But let's go there later this afternoon. I need to go home right now."

Hermione sighed. "It's fine with me," she told him. "Let's meet here at 3:00 pm."

The blond nodded. "Okay." He then stood up. "See you later, Hermione."

"Yeah, see you," she answered and with that, Draco walked back to the Malfoy Manor. Hermione stood up, too and wiped away her tears. She then also went back to her temporary home.

Hermione sighed as she walked home. Draco admitted his father's a Death Eater. The brunette slightly smiled. She's two steps closer to victory. All she needed to do was to persuade him to tell the Ministry which, Hermione thought, was close to impossibility.

* * *

_June 7, 1990 (Afternoon, around 4:00 pm)_

Hermione was swinging back and forth again on the swing in the Muggle playground they visited on Draco's birthday. The said blond was seen sliding down the slides, a huge smile plastered on his face. The brunette released a sigh of relief. When she and Draco met in the bench, the blond was awfully quiet. He was still thinking about their encounter this morning. But once they arrived in the Muggle playground, the usual bubbly and energetic little Draco Malfoy came back. His sweet, contagious laughter now rang around the almost empty playground.

The brunette sighed again and looked at the ground covered with sand. She watched as her sandals brushed against the sand, making them slightly dirty. Another sweet laughter from Draco rang around the playground. Hermione made a small smile and looked at him.

'_If Draco Malfoy was like this before, maybe, just maybe, he would be different,' _Hermione thought, her eyes following every move of the little blond.

'_If Draco Malfoy was like this before, maybe, just maybe, if he offered some friendship with Harry on our 1st year, Harry would accept him.' _The blond looked up and gave her a big smile, which Hermione returned.

'_If Draco Malfoy was like this before, maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't have called me 'Mudblood' on our second year.' _The blond slid down the slide again, making another contagious laugh.

'_If Draco Malfoy was like this before, maybe, just maybe, I wouldn't have punched him on our third year.' _Hermione softly chuckled at this memory. This was the only closest contact she had with Draco Malfoy. She had never touched him, never having the right to at least hold his school robe because, of course, she's a _Mudblood_.

'_If Draco Malfoy was like this before, maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't hate us more when he discovered we're the reason why his father was imprisoned in Azkaban.' _Hermione sighed. She remembered the more biting and hurtful insults from the blond when he discovered that his father, Lucius 'Jerk' Malfoy, was imprisoned in Azkaban, being captured by the Order of the Phoenix in the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry of Magic. She remembered the more deathly and dangerous glares he directed towards her and her friends.

'_If Draco Malfoy was like this before, maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't be a Death Eater,' _she thought, gulping. _'Maybe, he wouldn't help his fellow Death Eaters to barge in Hogwarts. Maybe, he wouldn't have the heart to try to kill Professor Dumbledore.' _Hermione sighed and now looked down on the sand again.

'_If Draco Malfoy was like this before, maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't be fighting in the Dark Side.' _Hermione looked up and was slightly surprised to see that Draco stopped on going up the slide and sliding down on it. Instead, he was looking at her openly.

'_If Draco Malfoy was like this before, maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't kill me.' _Hermione watched as the 10-year-old approached her. _'Maybe, we could be friends. Or best friends. Or… or… something… something more…" _

"Are you all right, Hermione?" Draco asked, breaking her from her musings. He sat down on Hermione's neighboring swing and looked at her worriedly. "You're _awfully _quiet, do you know that?"

Hermione softly chuckled. "I'm sorry. I'm thinking about other things," she answered, giving him a small smile. "I'm just… preoccupied. That's all."

Draco frowned. "What are you thinking?" His enthusiasm was slightly faltering now. Hermione, sensing this, released a soft chuckle again.

"Don't mind me, Draco. Just… just have fun," Hermione said. She averted her eyes away from him and stared intently on the sand. It's as if she found something interesting in it.

"But, you're not having fun, Hermione," the blond said, almost whining. "Tell me what's bothering you."

Hermione released a huge sigh. "All right, fine," she said. "I'm thinking… I'm thinking (_about you…_) about my friends and my parents." Hermione sighed again. She's the reason why Draco's happiness wasn't seen anymore.

"Oh," he said. He averted his gaze and was now looking on the sand, too. "I forgot. You miss them already."

"Draco…"

The blond looked up and a forced smile was seen on his face again. "I understand, Hermione," he said. "I know that you miss them already. _Badly._"

Hermione was silent for awhile. She was also gazing on the sand, again.

"Tell me honestly, Hermione," the blond said, breaking the silence. "Are you… are you not happy with me?" He fidgeted slightly on his wing. Hermione noticed that the little boy was blushing. "I remembered our conversation in our garden, Hermione. I remembered that once you finished your Head Girl task you'll go back already. And then, you'll see your friends and your parents. But…" Draco now looked at Hermione. "Honestly, did I make you happy here?"

The brunette was staring at Draco intently. The worry was obviously evident on his face. The corners of Hermione's mouth twitched. He cares if he made her happy for the past… what? Hermione counted inside her head. For the past 16 days. _'Oh God, I didn't know I've been in the past for 16 days already,' _the brunette thought. Hermione raised her right hand and placed it on top of his blond hair. She slightly ruffled his hair. "Of course, I'm happy here, Draco," she assured him, a wide smile gracing on her lips. "You made me happy here, Draco."

Draco gave her a genuine smile, telling her that he was happy because he made her happy. He then looked at Mr. Beady who was seated on his lap and the blond started to stroke his fur. Hermione also looked at the bear on his lap. Looking at Mr. Beady made Hermione think that Draco's definitely like other children in the whole wide world. He might be living with some bunch of evil people (aka Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy) but that didn't mean that he's evil, too.

Hermione sighed. Before, she believed that if the parents were evil, so were their children. And if the parents were good, so were their children. But little Draco Malfoy had proven her wrong. Yes, his parents were like devils in Earth but he wasn't at all. Draco's just like the other children who liked to play, liked to eat Chocolate Frogs, liked to throw tantrums, and liked to have a teddy bear. It's just sad to think that because of his parents influence and wishes, Draco would grow up just like them… them, the Death Eaters.

"Hermione," the blond said, breaking the silence. "Do you miss someone else besides your friends and your parents?"

The brunette frowned. "Well… I miss my classmates and my professors," she answered. "Oh, and I miss my cat, Crookshanks."

"Crookshanks? Where'd you get that name?" the blond asked, raising one blond eyebrow in amusement.

Hermione shrugged. "I don't know. I just thought of it," she answered. "I really miss them all."

"Do you miss someone else besides your friends, your parents, your classmates, your professors, and Crookshanks?" the blond asked again, his eyes gazing intently on the brunette right now.

'_Yes, I miss your 17-year-old self.' _"No one," Hermione said, sounding rather curt and abrupt.

Draco's eyes narrowed. "Are you sure?" he asked.

Hermione looked exasperated. "Why are you asking me that question, anyway?!" she exclaimed. Draco merely stared at her while his lips formed into a thin line. Hermione released an exasperated, defeated sigh. "All right, fine! I miss someone! I miss _him_." And that _him _is none other than Draco Malfoy's older self.

"Who?" the blond asked, a horrified look plastered on his face.

"_Him_!" the brunette said in exclamation.

"There is a lot of _him_ in the whole world, Hermione," the blond said. "Who the hell is _him_?"

Hermione chose to ignore Draco's language. Instead, she pursed her lips together and her cheeks turned red. Draco frowned. Her red cheeks were a giveaway. "You like that _him_," the blond said. It was more of a statement than a question.

The brunette frowned, too. She has no idea why this 10-year-old Draco was so upset of the fact that Hermione fancies someone. She sighed. _'There's no point in denying anymore,' _she told herself. "Yes," she finally admitted, fiddling with both of her thumbs. Oh, Hermione's so embarrassed right now! She definitely was.

Draco's frown deepened. A disappointed and upset look crossed his handsome face. Hermione instantly became so confused. "What?" she asked, avoiding the little blond's gaze. "Is it… is it wrong to like someone?"

The little blond was still pouting but he shook his head. Hermione's still confused. _'Why's he looking at me like that?' _she asked herself.

Draco sighed. He lost his chance to this 17-year-old _him_. The little blond's heart broke into two. He's still too young but he knew his heart was being broken. He read it somewhere in a book in the Malfoy library… _'Hermione has a crush,' _he thought upsettingly. _'Of course, how could Hermione who is 17-years-old right now like me, a mere silly 10-year-old boy?'_ The blond released another depressed sigh.

Oh, if only he'd know that Hermione's talking about his 17-year-old form.

"You miss _him _badly?" he asked, looking at Hermione almost accusingly.

Hermione looked at Draco incredulously. "What's wrong with you?" she asked.

Draco's eyes narrowed. "You're changing the topic, Hermione. You're not answering my question," the blond said. "You miss him badly, don't you?"

Hermione sighed again. "Yes, yes, I do," the brunette said, running a hand through her curls. "I miss him so, so badly. Merlin, I miss him _more than _my best friends. Would you believe that?" Hermione's feeling frustrated now, too.

"Does he know?" the blond asked.

"What?" she asked.

"Does he know that you like him?" Draco asked. The little blond's feeling down. Well, he wouldn't be blamed. He just discovered that his one and only beautiful crush likes someone else. "Did you tell him already?"

Hermione released a small laugh. Draco cringed. He'd heard hurt there. "I can't. I _definitely _can't tell him how I feel," the brunette answered him.

"Why not?" the blond asked while his blond eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"You wouldn't understand, Draco," the brunette told him, patting his blond hair gently. "You're too young to understand this."

The blond adorably pouted. "Well, try me," he challenged her.

Hermione sighed. "To make it simpler… he hated me," the brunette answered me. "No, wait, let me correct that. He still _hates _me.It's because… well… we're completely different from each other."

There was silence then. Draco was playing with Mr. Beady's arm while Hermione rubbed her right cheek to decrease its redness. Draco suddenly broke the silence with a question. And his question was definitely surprising. "Do you… do you love _him_ already?" he asked in a whisper. Butterflies… no, bees were swarming wildly inside his stomach already. And it absolutely hurts.

The brunette's breath caught inside her throat. Her face suddenly became troubled. One question was in her mind. _'Do I love Draco Malfoy already?' _she asked herself. Her face was contorted into pure concentration. She started to draw circles at one side of her temples. _'Do I love him already?' _the brunette asked herself. Closing her eyes, she remembered her conversations with Merlin. He always insisted that she's definitely _in love _with Draco. But she never admitted she does love him. She had admitted long before that she has special feelings for this particular ferret but love… she still didn't know. "Umm…" she muttered, her face still contorted into a look of confusion and concentration.

"You don't have to answer that question, Hermione," the blond hastily said because of Hermione's sudden look. It made Draco alarmed.

"I… I don't know," the brunette said as if she didn't heard what Draco had told her. "Love him? I mean, I like him. I definitely do. But love… I…" Hermione stopped. Hermione immediately froze. Draco looked at her worriedly. He was now feeling quite guilty for asking that stupid, stupid question. "I…" Hermione buried her face in her hands. "I do. God, I do! I love him. I love him," she muttered again and again.

Draco immediately rubbed Hermione's back for comfort. She's clearly feeling in distress.

"But he hates me… he absolutely _loathes _me," the brunette cried. Draco thanked the gods and goddesses above because Hermione wasn't crying at all. "I don't even know why I fell in love with him!" the brunette cried. "I was supposed to hate him. I was supposed to. But I couldn't! I… I won't! Never!"

"There, there, Hermione," Draco comforted. "Don't worry, I know he would someday fall in love with you, too."

Hermione sighed and ran both of her hands through her hair again. "Oh, I don't know," the brunette said, making a soft angry noise. "It's not that easy, Draco. All stories don't always end with a 'happily ever after'. Remember that." The brunette slightly shifted on the bench. "And besides, it's impossible for him to fall in love with me. I'm his sworn enemy, you know."

The corners of Draco's mouth were twitching up. For some reason, he was feeling smug.

The brunette softly groaned. The blond immediately frowned. _'Okay, I won't be happy if Hermione's not happy at all,' _the blond told himself.

Again, they fell into silence. This time, it was Hermione who first broke it. "How about you, Draco?" she asked him in almost a whisper. "Do you… do you like someone now?" Hermione released a soft chuckle. "Silly, silly me. Of course you don't have! You're too young to like someone. And besides, you told me that you wouldn't fall in love at all."

Draco immediately turned into a deep shade of red. "Umm… well…" he stuttered.

"Aha! You're stammering!" Hermione happily cried. She was quite glad they weren't talking about the 17-year-old Draco Malfoy anymore. "Aww, little Draco has a crush." The brunette pinched his red cheek. "Tell me who she is, Draco. Do I know her?"

The blond blushed redder. _'Might as well admit it, too, since Hermione did.' _"Umm… well, you know her," he answered softly. "Too well, actually."

Hermione frowned in confusion. "Who's this girl?" she asked. She's actually quite shocked to know that this little boy sitting beside her fancies someone. The brunette suddenly chuckled. "I can't believe you'll one day be a walking thing with bunch of testosterone in your system."

Draco didn't laugh at all. Instead, he frowned. "What's testosterone?" he asked innocently.

The brunette made a dismissive hand gesture. "Never mind," she said. "Now, tell me who this girl is." She's honestly feeling slightly impatient.

The blond clamped both of his lips tightly and shook his head.

Hermione scowled. "Oh, come on, Draco! You can tell me! I'm your best friend, anyway," she told him.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Well, you didn't tell me who you're crush is so I won't tell you, too," the blond reasoned. Hermione sighed. He has a point. The blond looked at her smugly, though, with cheeks still slightly red.

"Fine, then," the brunette said, the scowl still not leaving her face. "Just… err… I don't know. Describe her?"

"Umm… well," the blond nervously said, playing with a loose thread from Mr. Beady's arm. "She's… she's gorgeous."

The brunette raised one brown eyebrow. "Why do guys always like _gorgeous _woman? Don't they consider intelligence as a turn-on, too?" Hermione was now frowning. "I can't believe that even you, a 10-year-old, like beautiful girls."

"Uhh…" Draco gulped nervously. "Is it wrong?"

Hermione sighed. "Never mind," she said. "Please continue describing her."

"Okay, umm… well, she's… she's…" Draco scratched the back of his neck. "I… I can't really describe y – her." The blond blushed. _'I almost said 'you'! I almost said 'you'! Argh!' _the blond mentally screamed inside his head. "I… I don't even know why I like her!"

The brunette chuckled. "I know how you feel," Hermione told him. The brunette stared off into space and sighed. "You… you just don't have an exact reason why you like that person. It just happens so suddenly. You'll just realize that you like him or her. That's how sneaky adoration and attraction is. Well, love too is very, very sneaky. It just appears whenever it likes. And sometimes, it chooses people you never imagined of liking at all."

Draco stared at her in wonder.

Hermione then looked at her with a sad smile on her face. "That's why Draco, tell that girl how you feel as soon as possible," she advised. She looked down at the sand floor and continued, "Because maybe, it would be quite too late already." Hermione dug the sole of her sandals in the sand.

The look of wonder on Draco's face turned into a determined one. Yes, he would follow Hermione's advice.

He would tell her.

* * *

"I had so much fun today, Draco," the brunette announced as she and the blond were walking back to their meeting place. Hermione sighed and looked around. "Let's go back to that playground some other time, okay?"

The answer she received was mere silence.

Hermione looked at Draco curiously. The blond's face was facing downward, concealing the emotions playing on his adorable face. "Draco, what's wrong?" the brunette asked in worry. "You're awfully quiet. Is something bothering you?"

Again, his answer was only silence.

The brunette frowned. "Draco," she said but the blond still wouldn't answer her. Hermione frowned. "Fine, be like that. Don't talk to me," she said, her frown deepening.

Both of them continued to walk silently towards their meeting place. Draco still chose to be silent while Hermione looked at him with worry evident on her face. She knew there was something wrong because Draco would normally talk about anything to her.

Hermione sighed in defeat because she knew that Draco would continue to be silent.

Finally, they arrived at their meeting place. Hermione looked up at the sky and noticed that the sun was already setting. She then looked at Draco. "Goodbye then, Draco. I'll see you tomorrow," the brunette said and turned around, not expecting for Draco to answer. But then, she was quite shocked when Draco gripped the end of her blouse. Hermione spun around and looked at him questioningly. "Yes, Draco, do you need something?"

And then, he did something surprising.

Draco's hand traveled towards Hermione's right arm and forcefully yanked her down. Hermione yelped in surprised but then gasped loudly when Draco's lips pressed themselves against the brunette's right cheek. His little kiss was brief and then, he immediately let go of Hermione.

The brunette looked at him with wide-eyes. Her mouth was formed into a small 'o' as she stared at the furiously blushing Draco Malfoy.

"I LIKE YOU!" he exclaimed. And then, he spun around and ran away from the stunned brunette.

Hermione blinked several times. Her right hand flew towards the spot where Draco kissed her. "Did that just happened?" she asked herself aloud. "Did that just bloody happened?"

Soft laughter was heard behind her and Hermione immediately turned around. She was surprised to see that Merlin was there, looking at her with mirth dancing in his emerald eyes.

"Did that just happened?" Hermione said, this time, she was asking the old wizard.

"Indeed, Miss Granger. Indeed," Merlin answered her, amusement still evident in his twinkling eyes.

Hermione gasped. "So… so I'm the girl he was talking about awhile ago in the Muggle playground!" she exclaimed.

Merlin chuckled. "Apparently, 10-year-old Mr. Malfoy likes you, Miss Granger."

The old wizard's amusement grew when Hermione managed to make herself resemble a blushing goldfish.

* * *

**A/N: End of chapter! Review please. I want to know your opinions about this chapter. Anyway, I'll next update PiD! :D Again, review please **

**With love,  
2booklover4**

Top of Form


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: Do you honestly think I'm JK Rowling? If you do, I'll personally escort you to St. Mungo's. Because, breaking news, you're deranged. **

**A/N: Okay, I'm back! Chapter 11 is here! I'm sorry I'm still quite busy because I'm still reading Libba Bray's "A Sweet Far Thing" (which is a lovely book). Anyway, just enjoy reading this. Review after reading, okay. If you will, I'll love you forever! LOL! Enjoy! **

* * *

**Confusion**

_  
June 8, 1990 _

Hermione looked at her watch for the umpteenth time. _'He's late,' _she told herself, looking around for any sign of little Draco Malfoy. Not seeing him, Hermione looked at her watch again and sighed. Yes, the 10-year-old was definitely late.

And of course, Hermione knew the reason why.

Well, actually, she thinks she knew the real reason why Draco was late. She thought that maybe he was embarrassed about what had happened between them last night. A soft chuckle escaped from Hermione's lips as she rubbed the spot where Draco had kissed her yesterday. _'I LIKE YOU!' _he exclaimed, making Hermione release another soft chuckle. _'Now, who would have thought that he likes me all along,' _the brunette told herself, eyes now gazing at the path where he usually appeared.

'_He likes me? Seriously?' _the brunette asked herself as she slightly played with her watch. _'I mean, he's ten and I'm seventeen. I'd thought that he would like someone who was younger than him or who was in the same age as he was. But why me? A seventeen-year-old bossy, bookworm who really was dead and was brought back into time to change his heart. A seventeen-year-old who lied to him a lot like being a Pureblood when in reality, I'm really a lowly Mudblood. A seventeen-year-old who just really wanted to be his friend so she can do her task and become alive again. A seventeen-year-old who can never stay here because she doesn't belong in this time and place, anyway.' _Hermione released another sigh. _'Okay, he really doesn't know all those facts but really, why does he like me?' _

Hermione thought of the possible reasons why the little boy likes her. _'He told me that she was beautiful… _I am beautiful._' _The brunette frowned. She knew she wasn't beautiful at all. Well, actually, she didn't believe that she was beautiful. Looking at Ginny (her girl best friend and Ron's younger sister) made Hermione think that she's not good-looking compared to the redhead. Ginny's absolutely beautiful. That's why she managed to have more boyfriends than Hermione did. That's why she's the girlfriend of the famous Harry Potter. And Lavender and Parvati were certainly more beautiful than her. They wore make-ups, for heaven's sake! And her, she believed in natural beauty. Hermione snorted. _'Yeah, right,' _she told herself. Lavender and Parvati also wear revealing clothes; showing off too much flesh and making them look more tempting in the eyes of perverts… Hermione meant _boys_. And her, she just wore anything she grabbed in her wardrobe. She didn't care wearing boring shirts or turtlenecks with baggy jeans or whatsoever. Yes, she sometimes wore shorts but not too skimpy and not too short, for modesty's sake. She honestly values modesty and simplicity. Again, Hermione snorted in disbelief.

She really was not the epitome of beauty. Yes, she had two boyfriends before. One was the Quidditch Seeker Extraordinaire, Viktor Krum, who absolutely looked like a baboon. Hermione made a face. She still couldn't believe that he, the baboon, stole her first kiss! And he had the nerve to break-up with her because she's too young for him and he couldn't bear having a long-distance relationship. _'Oh, honestly,' _the brunette thought.

And then, there was her recently ex-boyfriend, Ronald Weasley. She was just his rebound, actually. He was so depressed when Lavender broke-up with him. He was so depressed because he couldn't suck her face anymore. And so, she was his rebound. Too bad, Hermione wouldn't allow him to suck her face, too. The brunette was thankful that Lavender took him back. Lavender Brown absolutely saved her life. It's not that she hates Ron; it's just that they're better off as best friends. Nothing more than that. And it was better if they were friends because he kept on insisting in sucking… err… kissing her. Hermione made a disgusted face. _'Yuck. Absolutely,' _the brunette thought.

So, why does Draco Malfoy like her?

The brunette recalled all of the girlfriends of the Draco Malfoy she knew in school. Frighteningly a lot, in her opinion. They all have well-endowed chests, pimple-free, flawless face, soft drink bottle-shaped figure, sluts… for short, their absolutely beautiful (_'And dimwitted,' _Hermione added in her thoughts). She didn't really have a well-endowed chest. It's… let's say… acceptable. And her face, yes, she's pimple-free but she's not freckles-free. Some were still evident on her nose and Hermione doubted that they will never leave her alone. How comforting. And a soft drink bottle-shaped figure? _'Oh please,' _the brunette thought as she looked at her body. Yes, she's slim and all but she didn't have a soft drink bottle-shaped figure. _'But I'm still slim,' _she reassured herself. And who would dare call Hermione Granger a slut? _'I'm not, I'm absolutely not,' _the brunette thought with a scowl.

So basically, Draco Malfoy preferred girls who were exactly the opposite of the bookworm, goody-two-shoe, Hermione Granger.

So why oh why did the 10-year-old Draco Malfoy confessed that she's his ultimate crush? Why did he shout at the top of his lungs that he certainly _likes _Hermione? Why? Why? Why? _'I mean,' _Hermione said in her mind, _'Yes, he's still 10 and he's different from his seventeen-year-old self but… hello? They're still the same. They're still one. They're not completely different beings. So, if his 10-year-old self managed to like me and consider me as his crush, then, does his 17-year-old self like me, too?' _A hopeful look was seen on Hermione's face. Remembering what she had just thought awhile ago, the hopeful look on her face changed into a horrified one. Hermione released a shriek out loud (thankfully, no one was around) and buried her face in her hands.

'_Did I just hope for that? Did I? Did I?' _the brunette asked herself frantically. _'Did I just hope that the 17-year-old Draco Malfoy's harboring secret feelings for me, too?!' _Hermione was breathing heavily now. _'All right, Hermione, calm down. Calm down. Of course you wished that! You even wished that before! You like him… God, you're _in love _with him. So, there's nothing wrong in wishing that he, too, likes you.' _

Hermione released a muffled groan and looked up at the sky. _'Why are you punishing me, Most High? Why are you punishing me like this? Please, please, _please_. Stop using my heart for Your punishment. It's making me vulnerable, Most High. Please, stop it. Make me fall out off love from Draco Malfoy. Just order Cupid to shoot another arrow to another guy so that I could fall in love with him instead. All I wished for ever since I studied in Hogwarts was to look at Draco Malfoy scornfully… not longingly. Please, let me loathe him again. Let me hate him with equal fervor so that I could _haunt _him down for killing me until he die because of heart attack. Let me hate him, instead, Most High. Let me hate him instead.' _Hermione buried her face in her hands again. "Honestly, it's not making me healthy," she mumbled.

But Hermione knew that there was a small part in her heart that thanked Him that she felt this way for the 17-year-old blond. Reason? Hermione still doesn't know. But still… there's a small part in her heart that was thankful she's madly in love with Draco Malfoy.

The brunette sighed and rubbed her aching heart. Even though he ignored her, even though he treated her as dirt, even though he loathed her, even though he didn't love her unlike she certainly does, Hermione knew that she would continue to love him until the end. Hermione snorted. She's getting a bit cheesy but she knew that was the truth. Even though she's married to a man that wasn't Draco Malfoy and they both have children enough to make a Quidditch team, Hermione knew that she would never forget the love she has for the blond. Hermione released another sigh. Oh, she had forgotten. If she didn't succeed in changing his heart, she would die. For some reason, it didn't sound frightening for Hermione anymore.

She groaned and then leaned her head against the bench. That's the reason why she didn't want to fall in love with anybody. She only wanted to concentrate in her studies, in her tests, in her responsibilities. They were supposedly her only love. But now, Draco Malfoy came strutting into her life, stealing her heart unconsciously and mercilessly beating and hurting it. _'Oh, life's so, so cruel,' _the brunette thought. _'I hope I never met him.'_

Hermione abruptly looked up once hearing footsteps. She was expecting to see a shy blond who was furiously blushing walking towards her, a bouquet of flowers clutched on both of his hands (_'Okay, Hermione, that was too much,' _the brunette berated herself).

But no, it wasn't Draco at all.

Hermione gasped as she stared at his own grey eyes. Fear started to crawl down her skin as she stared at the wand pointed at her. Hatred grew, too, upon staring at that stupid smirk plastered on his pale face. Hermione dug her hand in her pocket, hoping to find her wand to battle with this evil man. But, she immediately stopped upon realizing that she didn't have her wand anymore. Her fear grew. Her eyes became wider when he pressed his wand painfully at Hermione's chest where her heart was, just like what Draco did on the day he killed her. The brunette gasped in pain as he pressed it harder.

"_Stupefy_," he whispered menacingly. The last thing Hermione saw was a blond hair strand falling on his right eye. And then, everything became black.

* * *

Draco looked at his watch for the umpteenth time. _'She's late,' _he told herself, looking around for any sign of the teenaged Hermione Granger. Not seeing her, Draco looked at his watch again. Yes, the 17-year-old was definitely late.

Okay, he knew he was the one who was _late _for their meeting. He was honestly debating whether to come or go. The desire to see her won so now, here he was, waiting for the arrival of the beautiful brunette. But, she was still nowhere to be seen.

And of course, Draco knew the reason why.

Well, actually, he thinks he knew the reason why. He thought that maybe she dislikes him now for saying such… such _ridiculous _words to her yesterday. He thought that maybe she was humiliated by his confession. Draco pouted. Now, that had hurt.

'_It's her fault, anyway,' _Draco thought, clutching Mr. Beady tighter to his chest. _'She told me that I should confess to my crush… her... before it's too late. So, I did. Hermione told me that she would be away from me soon, so I confessed to her. Is that wrong?' _Yes, it's definitely wrong, in Draco's opinion. Because he's 10 and she's 17. No need for any explanations because he knew, it's wrong.

But, was it his fault that he likes her? Was it his fault that she became his very first crush? Hermione's so, so beautiful. She's so intelligent. She's everything Draco likes. Unlike the Pansy Parkinson he was betrothed. She's slutty, in Draco's opinion, and he hates slutty girls. She's so talkative. Yes, Hermione's talkative, too, but all that came out from her mouth were intelligent words. Unlike, again, Pansy Parkinson.

If only Hermione became 10 again, then Draco wouldn't have any problem at all. He would introduce her (if she's 10) to his father and tell him that she's the girl he likes. He would tell his father to break his arranged marriage with Pansy Parkinson because Hermione (aged 10) was the one he wanted to marry once he grew up. There's nothing wrong in that because Hermione's Pureblood and intelligent and witty. He knew that his father would immediately adore her. Well, he'd seen how his father treated Hermione in the ball. Oh, life would be blissful if that happened.

But, life was so unfair to him. He's 10 and she's 17. If only… if only they were in the same age then, everything would be all right.

"Oh, Mr. Beady, please tell me why I like Hermione so much," the blond begged at his inanimate teddy bear. As usual, it didn't answer back, making Draco groan. "I wish… I wish that I just liked Pansy Parkinson. I wish… I wish I shouldn't have met Hermione. I wish that I didn't accept her friendship. Then, my life would be okay."

Draco pouted. Hermione had told him she's in love with some other guy already. The blond growled. _'Whoever that guy was, he's so blind because he couldn't see how lovely Hermione is. He couldn't see that there's a beautiful, intelligent girl who loves him. If I'm a lot older and I'm 17, I would beat the living daylights out of him and then save Hermione from depression!' _the blond screamed in his mind. _'How could he loathe such a beautiful angel who descended on Earth to spread goodness and beauty? How could he loathe beautiful, beautiful Hermione? How? How? How?' _The blond knew he was overreacting but now… who cares?

Draco sighed and kissed the head of Mr. Beady. Draco fingered the ring that was given to him by Hermione. To whom will he give this ring, anyway, when his one and only crush was none other than the giver of his ring herself? To whom will he give this ring when he knew that he wouldn't like any other girl than Hermione? To whom? _'Someone tell me! To whom?!' _the blond exclaimed in his mind. Great rumbling of thunder was the one who answered his question. The blond looked up and saw gray clouds hiding the sun. Draco pouted. It was going to rain.

He looked around and sighed. Hermione was still nowhere to be seen. _'Maybe she doesn't want to see me, now,' _the blond thought forlornly. Draco stood up and carried Mr. Beady. He would go home now. The 10-year-old looked at the path where Hermione normally appeared. Again, she was not there. Draco sighed and looked ahead. He started to walk back home. He just wished that Hermione wouldn't go out of her house and get sick while it rained. He remembered she has a low immune system.

And Draco wished that she was wearing the lavender sweater he gave her.

With that thought, Draco went back to his family's old Manor.

* * *

_June 9, 1990_

Hermione groaned and rolled around. Her back met a cold, hard floor, making her groan more. The brunette slowly opened her eyes. Immediately, she noticed that she wasn't in her own warm, bedroom. Instead, she was somewhere that was dark and cold. The brunette wrinkled her nose in disgust. Something smells foul, too, she observed. The brunette looked around, letting her eyes adjust in the dark room.

Once they were adjusted, Hermione released a horrified gasp. She's in a dungeon. Hermione released a soft shriek once she heard the scuttling of mice. The brunette clutched her hammering heart. She had to admit, she's terrified to death. _'Where am I?' _she asked herself frantically, looking around to see anything that would tell her where she was.

The brunette closed her eyes and remembered the things that happened before she found herself here in this unknown dungeon. She remembered that she was waiting in their meeting place… their bench. Draco was late, she recalled. She'd thought of many things that time when suddenly, someone arrived. Hermione thought it was Draco. But then, it wasn't. It was someone evil, someone vile, and someone that Hermione loathed with all her heart.

The brunette opened her eyes and stared at the entrance door of her dungeon. Her eyes instantly narrowed into thin slits. In came a middle-aged man with long, blond hair and piercing grey eyes. He looked so much like Draco, Hermione noticed, but she knew… she very well knew that their attitudes were so different from each other.

And that someone is none other than Draco's father, Lucius Malfoy.

"Good day, Miss Hermione," the wizard said, the same Malfoy smirk plastered on his face. "Good morning."

He was talking so casually, making Hermione's blood boil. "What do you want from me? Why did you bring me here?" she asked, demanding for an answer. Her eyes were still narrowed into thin slits and a huge scowl was plastered on her face.

Lucius walked nearer the brunette and crouched down. He held her chin and forced her to look at him. "Shame," he said, his smirk not leaving his face. "You're such a gorgeous girl, Miss Hermione. But…" He forcefully pushed Hermione away from him, making her topple on the ground. Lucius' smirk grew upon hearing her groan. "But… you're brainwashing my son. You're putting loathsome things in his mind. Shame, you're really so beautiful."

Hermione gasped and looked at him with big, wide eyes. "How… how did you know?" the brunette asked, a horrified look plastered on her face. "How did you know?"

"I have sources, Miss Hermione," the older Malfoy said, standing up now and straightening his robe. "I have sources telling me about those… those meetings you always had with my son. I have sources telling me about the things you put inside my son's head. I have sources telling me that you, Miss Hermione, were telling my son some things that are… let's say… absurd."

The brunette tried to stand up but it was a futile thing to do. Instead, she sat straighter to make her look more menacing. Lucius only saw her as a weakling. "I know your true identity," Hermione spat. "I know your deepest, darkest secret you loathsome Death Eater!"

"Fiery, eh?" Lucius asked. "Miss Hermione, you very well know that the Dark Lord's defeated by a boy named Harry Potter." Hermione noted the disdain in Lucius' voice when he said her best friend's name. "The Dark Lord is dead. And he no longer has followers. How come you still call me as a Death Eater? Or perhaps… do you want me to escort you to the mental ward in St. Mungo's?"

Hermione gasped in protest. "I'm not lunatic!" she exclaimed. Unbelievable. _'Is he calling me crazy?! Well, breaking news! He's the one who's crazy!' _the brunette screamed inside her mind.

"Well, forgive me," he said, though, there was still an amused look on his face.

"I'm in the right state of my mind, thank you very much," Hermione growled. She was now trying to stand up again. But still, she couldn't. "And I believe that you're still a Death Eater, Malfoy! I know you are!"

Lucius shook his head. "I'm really starting to think you're deranged, Miss Hermione," he said, making a 'tutting' noise.

"I'm not!" Hermione exclaimed indignantly. "I'll show you!" She growled again and then held Lucius' left arm. She yanked him down, totally catching him off guard. Hermione then forcefully pushed his sleeve up until his shoulders. And there it was. Even in the dark, Hermione could still see it. Voldemort's symbol. The Dark Mark. Only Death Eaters have it. The brunette looked at him and glared. "I told you you're a Death Eater. Don't deny it. The evidence is clear."

The old Malfoy yanked his arm away from the brunette and rolled back his sleeve until his wrist. "Yes, you got me, Miss Hermione. I'm a Death Eater," Lucius answered. Again, he crouched down until he's eye-to-eye with Hermione. "Us, Death Eaters, were planning on resurrecting our Lord. And no one could stop us."

Hermione snarled in anger. "You won't succeed. I know that you'll fail. _All _of you will fail including you're your… bloody, evil _Master_!" The brunette was really livid now.

Lucius gripped Hermione's hair, making her yelp in pain. "Really, shame," he said. "A pretty girl like you should be begging in fear right now. You should be begging now."

"Never!" the brunette exclaimed, trying to push Lucius away from her but to no avail. "Spare Draco from your plans, Malfoy! He's still innocent. He's still a kid."

"Yes, he's still a child," he agreed. "But he'll soon be a young man. Next year, he would already study in Hogwarts. Draco will soon be one of us… he'll soon be a Death Eater."

"You… you sick, sick bastard!" Hermione exclaimed, tears now pouring down her face. "How could you do this to Draco?! He's your own son, for Merlin's sake! He's your own son! But… but think of what you're doing, Lucius Malfoy! You're corrupting Draco's life. You're his father. You're supposed to help him. But no! You're brainwashing him with rubbish! What kind of a father are you?!"

"Quiet, woman!" Lucius exclaimed, now letting go of Hermione's hair forcefully. "Do not tell me what to do! I'm his father. I can do whatever I want to him, understand?"

Hermione only released a soft sob and glared at the older Malfoy through her tears.

"UNDERSTAND?!" Lucius barked, his eyes dangerously flashing. Hermione has no choice but to nod her head weakly.

The older Malfoy stood up. "Now, Miss Hermione, stay here and be a good girl," Lucius said, his eyes still dangerously flashing. "Watch that biting tongue of yours, Miss Hermione. If not, you will one day find yourself in heaven." Lucius smirked upon seeing the fear in the young woman's eyes. "That is all. I will bring your food later. Good day."

Giving Hermione one last glare, Lucius disappeared, leaving the crying brunette all alone in the dank, dark dungeon.

* * *

Draco was frowning. He's absolutely frowning. And he's mad. He's really, really mad. Reason? Hermione wasn't showing up _again_. Mr. Beady was now seated beside Draco on their bench. The blond looked at the inanimate teddy bear and glared at it fiercely. _'Hermione was supposed to be the one who's sitting beside me. She's supposed to be here, talking to me about anything, smiling at me when I said something that made her happy, scolding me when I said another bad word, and kissing the top of my head when I'm scared or sad. She's supposed to be here. But' _– Draco's pout deepened – _'she's not here at all.' _

The blond abruptly stood up and started to pace back and forth. _'Now, Hermione, I understand that I made you embarrassed because of my confession,' _the blond told the brunette inside his head. _'I understand that you didn't want to see me yesterday. I understand, I promise I do. I know that you wanted to have some time alone and think about what I revealed. But… but one day's enough. You're not here today. Again. I think that's too much already, Hermione.' _

Draco sat down beside Mr. Beady again. This time, he grabbed hold of his teddy bear and sat him down on his lap. "Do you think Hermione's still angry with me, Mr. Beady?" the blond asked.

His teddy bear only stared back with his beady eyes.

"She's not fair, Mr. Beady. She's not fair," Draco said.

Again, the toy only stared back.

"I'm starting to wish that I didn't tell Hermione about my feelings anymore," the blond said, releasing a sad sigh. "I wish I never told her."

The blond waited on the bench again. A minute passed and then 5 minutes, then 10 minutes, then 20, then 30, then 50, and then an hour. Draco had had enough. The blond stood up, bringing Mr. Beady together with him.

"That's it, Mr. Beady. That's it," the blond grumbled, his brow knitted together and an adorable pout evident on his pale, handsome face. "We're going to go to her house now. We're going to see if she's just hiding from me or what."

And with that, Draco together with his beloved toy strolled towards the path that led to Hermione's house. He was so thankfully that Dobby knew where Hermione lived and told him. _'Note to self: Thank Dobby later,' _Draco mentally noted inside his head.

Soon, both he and Mr. Beady arrived in front of the main door of Hermione's house. Gingerly, he raised his right hand and started loudly knocking on Hermione's main door.

_Knock. Knock. Knock. _

Draco knocked three times. He waited patiently for Hermione to answer her door. Inside his head, he was rehearsing what to tell the brunette. '_"Hello, Hermione. Good morning. Why didn't you come to our meeting place yesterday? Why didn't you come to our meeting place today?" Nah, too cheerful. Hermione should feel my anger. "Why didn't you come to our meeting place yesterday, huh, Hermione? Huh? Tell me! Tell me!" Pfft… she would hate me forever if I told her that.' _Draco cleared his throat and placed a determined look on his face. _'Okay… "I'm so sorry about what happened two days ago. I was just… I couldn't hide my feelings anymore. I'm sorry if it shocked you. It's okay if you don't like me. I know that you love somebody else. But my feelings won't change, Hermione. I'll still like you through and through."' _

The blond blinked several times. "Did I just think of saying that?" he asked Mr. Beady out loud. And then, in his mind, _'Ew, disgusting! I just thought of something certainly disgusting and sickening sweet. Hermione would absolutely hate me forever and ever!' _The little blond was practically hyperventilating in front of Hermione's main door.

He knocked three times again. But like what happened awhile ago, no one answered. Draco started to pout again. He peered inside the window. None. He saw nothing. Nil. Nada. The blond released a frustrated groan. _'Maybe she's hiding in her bedroom!' _Draco thought sadly. The little blond looked at Hermione's bedroom window. "I'm sorry, Hermione," he softly whispered.

Kissing Mr. Beady's head, Draco turned around and walked back to his Manor. And now, he was feeling gloomy.

* * *

_June 10, 1990_

Hermione glared ferociously. She glared ferociously as Lucius Malfoy visited her again, putting food in front of her. The brunette now directed her death glare towards her food. As usual, it was stale bread and frozen water. _'How scrumptious,' _the brunette thought sarcastically. _'How am I supposed to eat and drink that?'_

"Tuck in," Lucius told her with the same Malfoy smirk plastered on his face. And with that, he walked out of Hermione's dungeon, leaving her all alone.

The brunette kicked the tray of food away from her. She leaned her back against the cold wall. She brought her knees up, encircling them with her arms. Hermione placed her chin on top of it and released a sigh. She's so hungry. She's so thirsty. She missed Merlin's food (Hermione tried her best not to drool in hunger). She missed Merlin. She missed her temporary home. She missed the Muggle Playground. She missed Mr. Beady. And of course, she missed Draco. _Badly. _

'_I wonder what he's doing right now,' _the brunette thought, sighing. _'I wonder if he thought that I'm avoiding him.' _Hermione groaned. _'Oh, I hope not!'_

She looked around her cell again. It didn't take Hermione long enough to discover that she's just in the Malfoy Manor. Hermione released a shiver. She didn't have any idea that there were dark dungeons inside Draco's house. But she has to admit, she wasn't surprised at all.

Hermione lied down on the cold floor and closed her eyes. She placed one arm on her forehead and sighed again. _'My time's almost running out,' _the brunette thought. She calculated the day today. She was kidnapped by Lucius Malfoy on the 8th of June. She'd already been in the Manor for 3 days so today was the 10th of June. Hermione groaned louder. She only has two days left! Then, on the 12th on June, she'll be back to 1997 to see what her true fate was.

Once June 12 came, she'll leave the ten-year-old Draco Malfoy whom she managed to care.

A tear slipped down Hermione's face. She couldn't bear to think what Draco's reaction would be once he found out that she'll leave him soon. Hermione turned on her right side and wiped her tear.

"Miss Granger."

Hermione gasped and lied on her back again. Merlin's face was hovering above her body. A worried look was evident on the old wizard already. The brunette cried in relief and stood up, practically hugging Merlin. "Oh, it's so nice to see you, Merlin! It's so nice to see you!"

"There, there, Miss Granger, you're safe," the old wizard said, patting Hermione's back comfortingly. "Hush, don't cry."

The brunette wiped her tears and looked at Merlin with a wide smile.

"Now, Miss Granger, let's go back to your temporary home now," Merlin said.

Hermione was about to agree when suddenly, she heard Lucius voice. "Not now, Merlin! Lucius Malfoy's about to go back to my dungeon again!" she whispered urgently.

Merlin nodded. "All right. Tomorrow morning, then. Be ready, Miss Granger." And with that, he disappeared at the same time Lucius arrived.

The brunette watched as the older Malfoy approached her. She couldn't help but to smile smugly and triumphantly, knowing that she would be free tomorrow already. Because of this, she earned a suspicious look from the older Malfoy.

* * *

Dobby scampered towards his young Master's room. It was lunchtime already and he was about to call Draco. It slightly made Dobby confused because before, Draco would arrive in the dining room earlier than lunchtime and eat his food as fast as he can. But today, it was different. And that made the house-elf utterly confused.

Draco's personal house-elf already arrived in front of his Young Master's bedroom door. Twisting the doorknob, Dobby slightly and noiselessly pushed the door open. He observed his Young Master's room. Everything was in order. His bed was made. His books were properly arranged in his big bookshelf. His toy broomstick was displayed on top of his desk. Everything was in order. Except for the owner himself sitting on his wide window ledge. Draco's left leg was tucked under his body while his other leg was seen dangling. A faraway look was seen on his face while gazing out of his window which was overlooking the Malfoy's most admired garden. Dobby frowned as he approached his beloved Master. "Is Young Master all right?" Dobby asked, his frown not leaving his face.

The blond didn't look at Dobby. Instead, he continued to look out of his window. "I'm fine, Dobby," he said, a pout gracing his handsome face. "I'm perfectly fine."

"Does Young Master want to eat lunch?" the house-elf offered. His eyes were now gazing intently on Draco.

"Nah," the blond answered before releasing a huge sigh. "I'm not hungry, Dobby."

The little house-elf gasped in surprise. "Is Young Master sure?" Dobby asked. "Dobby doesn't want Young Master to starve."

"I'm still full," Draco said.

"Then, when will Young Master see Miss Hermione?" Dobby asked. A suspicious look crossed his face as he noticed Draco cringing obviously when he mentioned the name of his best friend. "Young Master…"

"I won't see her today, Dobby," the blond answered, releasing a forlorn sigh.

"Miss Hermione might be waiting for Young Master now," the house-elf said.

Draco shook his head vigorously. "No, she won't come, anyway," the blond answered, scowling now. "She didn't show up yesterday. And the yesterday of yesterday…" Draco pouted. "You know what I mean."

"Then, when you will Young Master see Miss Hermione again?" the house-elf asked.

The blond adorably shrugged. "I have no idea," the blond said.

"But Miss might be waiting now," Dobby interjected. "Miss might show up right now."

Draco sighed again. A small fog formed on his window when he did this. "I have a feeling that she won't," the blond answered back. He then looked at his personal house-elf. Dobby has to gasp. Sadness and worry was evident on his Young Master's face. "But, I promise I will go back on June 12." He looked at his window again. "I can't come tomorrow because I feel that she won't show up at all." Draco sighed again. "If she didn't show up on June 12… then maybe, she doesn't want to see me anymore. After that, I won't come back to our meeting place anymore."

Dobby pitied his Young Master. He knew that only this 'Miss Hermione' can put a smile on Draco. But now, he was surprised to hear that she wasn't showing up anymore. But he was more surprised at how distressed his Young Master was now. The house-elf shook his head. "Just call Dobby if Young Master is hungry, okay?" he asked, offering Draco a small smile.

"All right," Draco answered, returning Dobby's smile with a small one. "I promise."

And with that, Dobby went out of Draco's bedroom.

Once the little blond was left alone, he sighed and looked out of his window. Now, he really regretted saying how he really felt for this particular brunette.

* * *

**A/N: End of chapter 11. I'm telling you, dear readers, Time's Up! will soon end! So, if you want me to remember you until the day I'm 6 feet under the ground, send me some lovely reviews, okay? Just push that button thingy under this chapter. Again, I'll love you forever if you did! **

**With love,  
2booklover4**

**P.S.  
Next, I'll update PiD. Please, review this story, too. Love ya, all! :D**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: Not mine. Not yours. Only JK Rowling's.**

**A/N: Yes, yes, I know, I only updated Time's Up! after a long, long time. I'm so sorry, it's just that I'm very, very busy these past few days. Yeah, my reason might be getting old already but I swear that's the truth. Schoolwork, updating my iPod nano 3rd gen, reading books, doing some important activities... it's just that I don't find any free time anymore to do my story. Anyway, just be happy I'm here because honestly, I'm happy I updated already. I'm really sorry... Just, read this chapter. It's longer than the other chapters, just to make all of you happy. Enjoy! And review afterwards, okie?**

* * *

**Goodbyes and Promises**

_  
June 11, 1990_

Hermione was pacing back and forth in her dungeon cell. Merlin was supposed to meet her now. Merlin was supposed to get her out of this… this horrible, horrible cell! But no, Merlin was not in sight and now, Hermione was getting more and more worried.

'_Okay, Merlin told me he'll be here today in the morning,' _she thought, frowning. She stopped pacing and then sat down on the cold floor, her back resting against the wall. _'He told me he'll be here today but he's not yet here!' _Hermione stood up again and started to pace again. Seriously, she was starting to hyperventilate. _'Okay, Hermione, calm down. Calm down. He'll be here soon. Merlin promised you, Hermione. He promised you. He'll be here soon.' _

The door of her cell opened with a loud squeak, making Hermione shriek aloud and jump because of surprise. Hermione whirled around until she came face-to-face with Lucius Malfoy.

"Well, well, well," the older Malfoy drawled, quirking one, pale eyebrow. "You're a little jumpy today, Miss Hermione. Is there something wrong?" Lucius gray eyes narrowed into thin slits. "Or, are you planning a way to escape from this dungeon cell?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes, too, feeling slightly brave. "So what if I am?" she spat venomously.

Lucius released a mirthless laugh. "As if you can, Miss Hermione," the older Malfoy said. "You don't have a wand, which, by the way, surprised me greatly because I have a feeling you're quite clever. Tell me, since you don't have any wand, are you a Muggle? But actually, I think you are witch."

"Yes, I am," Hermione said coldly and tersely.

"Ah, so I am right," Lucius answered. "There's no way that a Muggle will put absurdities inside my son's head." A wide smirk formed on the older Malfoy's face. "Then, pray tell, do you study in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, or, in Durmstrang Institute of Magic, if you are not a _Mudblood_?"

Hermione cringed when Lucius Malfoy said that insult. Her glare darkened. "What is this? An interrogation or something?" she spat again.

"Oh, no, Miss Hermione, I'm just curious," he said, his smirk widening. Hermione had a great urge of wiping that smirk off of his stupid face.

"Curiosity killed the cat," Hermione quoted, a slight smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"I'm no cat," Lucius shot back, his eyebrows raised. "And tell me your answer, Miss Hermione. It's rude not to answer a question."

Hermione rolled her eyes. _'He has no right to say what is rude or what isn't because he's way ruder than anyone else is here in the whole wide world… well, second since Voldemort is the first,' _the brunette thought with a sigh. "I'm studying in Hogwarts."

"Ah, Albus Dumbledore. I wonder if he's doing well," Lucius mused loudly.

The young woman snorted loudly. _'Yeah, right,' _she thought. _'I'm guessing that maybe he's thinking when Dumbledore will retire so that he can take over Hogwarts. Sorry, Lucius Malfoy, but Professor Dumbledore will never retire so that he can give his position to you' _– Hermione immediately frowned – _'I forgot. He died and Severus Snape took over.' _Hermione sighed.

"What year are you in?" he asked.

Hermione rolled her eyes but answered him anyway. "7th and last year."

"Do you have a position in Hogwarts?" Lucius continued to ask.

The brunette looked smug. "Of course," she proudly said. "I'm Head Girl."

"Hmm… you must be clever," the old Malfoy said, looking at the brunette with interest in his eyes. "And, what house are you in?"

Hermione grinned. She knew her answer would piss Malfoy off. "Gryffindor. And I'm a _proud _one," she answered. She watched in glee as Lucius Malfoy's eyes narrowed into thin slits again.

"Gryffindor, how unfortunate," he said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I think you'd rather be in Slytherin than in Gryffindor because of that biting tongue of yours."

Hermione didn't know if he was complimenting her or insulting her so she just chose to be silent. The brunette watched as Lucius started to circle her, as if a predator watching his prey. Hermione gulped silently as the older Malfoy continued to stare at her intensely. And then, he stopped just right in front Hermione. "I smell Mudblood," he said, a look of disgust flitting on his face.

The brunette gasped… she had to because Lucius Malfoy guessed right. "I-I am not!" she protested, avoiding eye contact.

Lucius Malfoy snorted. "Do you think you can deceive me, Miss Hermione?" he asked her. "I'd encountered a lot of _Mudbloods _in my past life. I already know who a Pureblood is from a Mudblood."

Hermione glared so darkly. If looks could kill, Lucius Malfoy would be six feet under the ground already. "Take that back, you bastard," the brunette hissed, her voice dropping into octaves. "So what if I'm a Muggle-born… or a _Mudblood _as you high and mighty Purebloods fondly call us? So what if I'm not born like you? So what if I'm not born as a Pureblood?" Hermione stopped to release an enraged, mirthless laugh. "Actually, I'm so, so glad I'm not born as a Pureblood. I'm glad I'm not born like a heartless, loathsome bastard… I mean Pureblood," she snarled. "Now, take that back, you no-good jerk. We, Mudbloods, are not dirty like what you describe us." She unwaveringly took a step towards the older Malfoy. "Breaking news, Malfoy, _you _are the one who is dirty" – Lucius Malfoy's face crumpled in anger – "Making Draco think that Lord Voldemort should be the one who should be worshipped? Oh please, that's the _dirtiest_ deed I'd ever heard in my whole life."

_SMACK! _

A resounding slap echoed around the dark, damp dungeon cell. Lucius Malfoy had slapped Hermione Granger. Because of the strong impact of the older Malfoy's hand against Hermione's cheek, the brunette bit her tongue accidentally, thus, making it bleed. Hermione spat blood on the dungeon floor and glared at the older Malfoy. "What? Did I hit a nerve? Oh, I'm so sorry," she said sarcastically. "I didn't know that I made you angry."

"Enough!" Lucius bellowed, chest heaving.

"I'm right, aren't I?" Hermione continued, not bothering to extinguish the burning fire in front of her. "You are just a poor excuse of a father!"

"I SAID ENOUGH!" the older Malfoy bellowed again.

Hermione raised her voice more. "You should be imprisoned in Azkaban!" the brunette exclaimed. "I wish you are not the father of Draco! I wish he grew up in a family where they didn't see him as just a possession but someone who is worthy of love! I wish he grew up in a family where his father doesn't control his life! I wish he grew up in a family where his mother doesn't think about how she _bloody _looks but the safety of her own son!" Hermione was sobbing freely right now. "I-I wish He placed Draco in a family who will l-love him with all their hearts! I-I wish… I-I wish Dr-Draco…"

"_CRUCIO!_" Lucius shouted. He had had enough. He had heard enough. All he wanted to do right now was to punish Hermione for telling him things that he didn't want to hear. All he wanted to do right now was to shut the brunette's mouth.

"AHHHHH!" Hermione screamed as she fell on the floor and curled into a ball. _'S-stop! It hurts!' _she exclaimed in her mind. More tears streamed down the brunette's face. _'The pain… please, somebody stop it!' _

And thankfully, it did.

The brunette was breathing heavily right now. Her whole body was hurting. It was as if hundreds and thousands of needles were pricking her body. Hermione released a broken, loud sob and slowly opened her eyes. Even doing this was bloody painful.

Instead of seeing the smirking, angry face of Lucius Malfoy, all Hermione saw was the kind and worried face of the old wizard she greatly admired. "Oh Merlin," she whispered as more tears streamed down her face.

The old wizard crouched down and carried the brunette. "I'm sorry, Miss Granger. I'm sorry I arrived late," Merlin said.

Hermione's answer was a soft sob. At the corner of her eyes, she saw Lucius Malfoy's unconscious body. She softly whimpered at the sight of him.

"Don't worry, Miss Granger, he will be unconscious until you already went back to year 1998," the old wizard reassured. Hermione only sniffed. "For now, please take some rest." With the usage of his wand, Merlin made Hermione unconscious, too.

* * *

Hermione slowly woke up. At first, she blinked her eyes five times, adjusting her eyes from the blinding light. Slowly, she sat up and looked around. To her relief, she was back to her temporary bedroom in her temporary house. Hermione remembered the incidents a while ago. She remembered provoking Lucius Malfoy. And of course, she remembered the Cruciatus Curse. Hermione flinched. It was her first time being placed under the Cruciatus Curse and honestly, she didn't want to be placed under it anymore.

"Are you all right now, Miss Granger?"

The brunette looked at her left and to her surprise. Merlin was comfortably seated on one of the chairs in her room. She nodded her head and allowed herself to show a small smile. "Yes, Merlin. I'm all right now," she answered the old wizard.

Merlin returned her smile. "I'm glad," he said.

Hermione's smile grew and then she looked around her bedroom. It was weird but really, she had missed her temporary bedroom. Hermione hugged her pillow tighter and snuggled under her bedcovers. The brunette released a satisfied sigh. She missed her comfy and soft bed, too.

And then, her eyes landed on her calendar. Hermione's blood ran cold as she stared at her calendar. "Merlin…" she slowly said. She was afraid of the old wizard's answer. "What's the date today?" She slowly rolled on her other side so now, she was facing Merlin.

"11th of June," Merlin answered.

Hermione gasped and sat up immediately. She stood up from her bed and wore her slippers. "Oh god, I need to go to our meeting place right now! Draco might be waiting for me already!"

"Miss Granger, I – "

"I'll be back before dinner, Merlin! Goodbye!" And with that, Hermione was out of her temporary bedroom.

Merlin just sighed.

* * *

Draco was seen seated on the gazebo in the Malfoy garden. Again, a faraway look was seen on his face as he gazed somewhere outside the manor. _'I wonder if Hermione's waiting for me right now,' _the blond thought, now drumming his fingers on the table.

"Young Master Draco?" Dobby gingerly said, capturing the little blond's attention. Draco immediately whipped his head towards his personal house-elf with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah?"

"Won't Young Master Draco really go now?" the house-elf asked, casting his eyes downward. He was refusing to look at the youngest Malfoy in front of him.

"What do you mean, Dobby?" Draco asked, eyes raised as he stared at his personal house-elf questioningly.

Dobby looked uncomfortable under his master's scrutiny. "We-well… won't Young Master see Miss Hermione right now?" The little house-elf gulped obviously and soundly as he noticed that Draco stiffened a little and looked out of the window of the gazebo.

"I told you she won't show up today," Draco firmly said, wanting to believe it also. "And I told you that I'll see her tomorrow. If she didn't show up, then I won't go to our meeting place anymore." The little blond looked at his feet and released a sigh. "Maybe, she really won't show up anymore." He scratched the back of his neck and looked at Dobby. "What if I won't go tomorrow, too?"

Dobby shook his head violently. "No! No! Young Master! What if Miss Hermione will be waiting for Young Master tomorrow? No! You will go there tomorrow and meet Miss Hermione!"

"But what if…" he stopped and sighed. "Oh, I hate 'what ifs'," he told his personal house-elf. He looked at Dobby squarely in his eyes. "But, you know what Dobby? I have a… feeling that… that Hermione's waiting for me right now."

The little house-elf's eyes lit up. "Then, why doesn't Young Master see Miss Hermione now! Maybe Miss Hermione's waiting for Young Master now!" he exclaimed in excitement.

"Nah," Draco said, waving a dismissive hand. "She won't come," he said, though, a doubtful look crossed his face. Sadly, it disappeared immediately.

* * *

Hermione was wringing her right wrist right now. Why shouldn't she? Draco wasn't showing up at all. The brunette stood up and started to pace back and forth. Actually, her eyes were stinging already. _'All right, you're being ridiculous Hermione,' _the brunette scolded herself. Even if she did this, a stubborn tear slipped down her right eye. She hastily wiped it away with the back of her hand and finally sat down on the bench again.

She waited more and more but sadly, as more seconds… minutes… hours… passed by, the little boy she was waiting for was still not showing up.

The brunette was starting to get panicky and paranoid. _'What if he was injured?' _she screamed inside her bed while running a hand through her hair in frustration. _'What if he has a fever or… or… oh my god! What if he is suffering from dragon pox now and I have no idea?!' _Hermione stood up right now and started to worry more. _'No, no, no. That's ridiculous. Where will he get dragon pox, anyway?' _Hermione released a frustrated sigh and held her head with both of her hands. She now released a loud sound that can be classified between a sob and a groan. _'What if _Lucius bloody Malfoy _abused Draco again?! For the love of all who are loved, why can't he just leave Draco alone? Why the burning hell is he abusing his son, anyway? Stupid, stupid, Lucius Malfoy. I wish he doesn't exist at all!' _Hermione released another frustrated shout and clenched her teeth tightly. _'For Pete's sake, I think I loathe him more than Voldemort himself now!' _

Hermione stood up again and debated whether to go to the Malfoy Manor or not. She knew that, as what Merlin told her, Lucius Malfoy was currently unconscious in one of the dungeon cells (which she had just occupied a while ago) and he would wake up right after she went back to her real time so, that mean that going to the Malfoy Manor was safe. But still, Hermione had a feeling she would still be unwelcome to go to that old Manor.

The brunette sighed. She looked at her watch. It was almost six pm. Hermione stood up and started to walk back to her temporary house. Her face was facing downward, eyes trained on her ballet flats. She really, really was worried but the brunette thought that Draco had a reason why he didn't show up today. And Hermione had a feeling she knew what it was.

She opened the main door of her temporary house and was greeted by Merlin who was sitting on one of the couches and staring at the fireplace.

"Mr. Malfoy didn't show up, eh?" the old wizard asked.

Hermione's face crumpled and she started to cry. Merlin looked up immediately, alarmed as he watched the brunette sitting down on one of the couches, too. The brunette buried her face with her hands and continued to cry. Merlin immediately stood up and knelt down in front of the crying brunette.

"Now, now, Miss Granger, I'm sorry I didn't tell you that little Mr. Malfoy planned not to show up today," the old wizard said.

"What?" Hermione asked, her voice a little muffled.

Merlin sighed. "Okay, Miss Granger, I'm sorry I didn't immediately come to your rescue when you were imprisoned in one of the dungeons in the Malfoy Manor. Fate made me busy because of some important matters. But I came to your rescue, didn't I?" The old wizard started to pat Hermione's back comfortingly. "The days when you were in the dungeon, Mr. Malfoy was confused because you didn't show up. I know this because all the things that happen between you and Mr. Malfoy in this year are recorded in my cauldron." Merlin paused when Hermione looked at him questioningly, face wet and eyes red because of crying. "Mr. Malfoy jumped into conclusions, Miss Granger. He thought that you were avoiding him… he thought you didn't want to see him anymore because he kissed your cheek and told you he likes you." Merlin allowed himself to softly chuckle while Hermione sniffed and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "He thought that from June 8-10, you didn't want to see him. And so, he made up his mind. He will not show on the 11th… today." Hermione released another sob. "But do not worry, Miss Granger. He will show up tomorrow. He promised that."

Hermione sniffed. "Are you telling the truth?" she asked while rubbing her right eye.

"Yes, I am. I promise," Merlin said, a small smile forming on his old face.

The brunette heaved a huge breath. "I just want to see him before I go back and see my real fate, Merlin," Hermione said. "Yes, all right, I admit. I'm in love with Draco Malfoy. I always wished that he's in love with me, too. Funny and ridiculous, isn't it?" She paused as she softly coughed. "But I already know that that won't happen. And then, this… this _incident _happened. You offered me a mission to change his heart. And so, I did, even if I'm slightly reluctant at first. Because of that, I met the ten-year-old little boy I care so much." Hermione allowed herself to make a small smile. "And those days when I was with this boy, I allowed myself to think that maybe… just maybe… his seventeen-year-old self has feelings for me, too. Which is ridiculous, if you ask me." She released a small chuckled and looked at Merlin through her tear-stained face. "I really just want to see him before I go back, Merlin. Because… because… maybe if I go back already, I might be" – Hermione obviously gulped – "_dead_ or… or if not, maybe, he will continue to be the same jerk he was in school."

Merlin sighed and patted Hermione's back. "Well, let's just see."

* * *

Draco was now seen in the great dining room in the Malfoy Manor. Narcissa was also with him, happily eating her dinner.

"Oh goodness, Draco!" Narcissa gushed excitedly, eyes lit up because of excitement. "Did you know that the mother of Pansy, you know, the Pansy Parkinson you were supposed to get married with once you grow old, was seen with another man? Oh that's a real revelation! What if her daughter will be like that once she grows up? Oh, no, no, no, no. I'm being ridiculous. Little Pansy practically worships the ground you walk…"

"Mother…"

"Aww, will my little baby boy deny that?" Narcissa continued. "Oh honey darling sweet, don't be, too modest. You'll soon be the heartthrob once you study in Hogwarts…"

"Mother…"

"Oh, don't deny it again, Drakie-wakie," the she-Malfoy said again, not letting her son talk. "You know that once you grow up, you'll be a dashing, gorgeous, handsome young man. You'll dazzle people. Frequently." Narcissa released a squeal. "That's a line in Stephie's Twilight! Oh, dearie, you'll be just like Edward Cullen even if you're not a vampire! Females all over the world will fall in love with you, my dearest little boy. Don't you like that, huh, Draco? Don't you like that? You'll have many Bellas. They'll shriek your name out loud. They'll swoon if you pass them. You'll blah blah blah…"

Draco couldn't take it anymore. He covered both of his ears and closed her eyes. _'One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten,' _he counted inside his head to calm his patience. _'It's all right, Draco. Your mother's becoming a blabbing fool again. It's all right, Draco. You'll survive.' _He told himself. He removed his hands.

"… and Edward said…"

Draco covered his ears again, eyes still closed. He then removed his hands again.

"… and Bella said…"

He covered his hands again and counted one to ten. Again, he removed them.

"… and then he answered with…"

He covered it. He removed them again.

"… and then she answered with…"

He covered it. This time, he swore that he will not remove them again. The blond opened his eyes and stared at his still talking mother. Draco had a feeling she will chatter until dinner was done and so, he took a deep breath and said loudly, "I'm done eating, Mother." Apparently, he had cut her from telling him her most favorite part in the Twilight novel (the meadow part was her mother's favorite scene. Draco knew that because she had told that story to him a lot already).

Narcissa immediately stopped talking and blinked several times. "Oh, all right, honey. Goodnight," she greeted, giving her son a big smile.

Draco stood up and was about to go out of hell (a.k.a. dining room) when his mother stopped him. "Where's my goodnight kiss?" she asked.

The little blond sighed and trudged toward his mother to give her a 'goodnight kiss'. Once he finished doing that, Draco dashed out of the dining room before his mother would make ask him ridiculous requests again.

Once he was safely outside the dining room, he'd heard her mother asking aloud, "Did anyone see Lucius?"

Draco sighed and shook his head. And then, he walked towards his own room.

* * *

_June 12, 1990 (Hermione's last day)_

Hermione woke up. Without looking at her calendar or clock, she knew, she very well knew that today was her last day. Her heavy feeling and sadness were proofs that today was her last day. She dashed towards her bathroom to take a quick bath. She needed to see her little best friend. Now.

Once she was done taking a bath, Hermione wore her clothes. And the clothes she chose were special to her, of course. She now was wearing the lavender turtleneck sweater Draco gave her with matching jeans and sneakers. To make her hair a bit orderly, she chose to wear a white headband.

The brunette immediately walked out of her room and walked towards the kitchen. As usual, Merlin was there, fixing her breakfast.

The old wizard looked up and gave Hermione a wide smile. "Good morning, Miss Granger," he greeted. His smile wavered, though, when he saw that Hermione wasn't experiencing a good morning. And of course, Merlin knew the reason why. He watched as Hermione plopped herself down on her usual chair and started to tuck in. The difference, though, was that she wasn't eating heartily. "Miss Granger…"

"I'm fine," she said even if it was blaringly obvious that she was in distress. The way she bit her bread was a proof. After a few more bites and gulps, Hermione was done eating breakfast. She stood up and gave Merlin a weak smile. "I'm sorry if I'm acting like this, Merlin. It's just that..."

"I know, Miss Granger," Merlin said, not waiting for her to finish her sentence. "Oh, and, we both know that this is your last day" – Hermione grimaced – "so I will fetch you in your meeting place." Hermione just nodded for her answer. "Speaking of your meeting place, off you go, Miss Granger. Mr. Malfoy will arrive soon."

"Okay," she said, followed by a sigh and then walked out of the dining room.

Once Merlin heard the slamming of the main door, he apparated. He needed to talk to Fate.

* * *

'_To go or no to go. That is the question,' _the blond thought to himself as he ate his breakfast. He knew that that famous line was from one of William Shakespeare's plays. But now, Draco didn't care.

His parents were nowhere to be seen. His mother was out again, shopping with her girlfriends. His father… well, Draco had no idea where his father was.

The blond now was finished eating his breakfast. He stood up and walked towards the Malfoy garden. He sat down on the gazebo... _'The gazebo where I had my first dance with Hermione,' _Draco unconsciously thought, remembering the day he danced with the beautiful brunette.

Draco sighed. He still didn't know if he would go or not. He placed his right elbow on his right leg and placed his chin on top of his hand. "Will I go or not? Will I go or not? Will I go or not?" he asked himself again and again just like a mantra.

"Young Master promised."

The little blond jumped in surprise. He looked around and saw his sheepish personal house-elf. "Dobby, don't do that again," Draco gently scolded.

"Dobby is sorry, Young Master Draco," the house-elf said, though, he wasn't looking sorry at all. Instead, a firm look was evident on his face. "Now, Young Master Draco should stand up and go to their meeting place. Miss Hermione might be waiting for you already."

Draco sighed. "No, I changed my mind. I won't go anymore," the blond said as he looked at the floor. "She won't go anyway."

And there was silence. Draco was still staring on the floor when Dobby suddenly broke the silence with a loud, frustrated noise.

"Stop it, Young Master Draco. Dobby's starting to get upset," his personal house-elf told him. Draco immediately looked at Dobby and glared at him. Dobby wavered a little but then, the firm look on his face came back. "Even if Young Master Draco does not tell Dobby, Dobby knows that Young Master Draco misses Miss Hermione. Even if Young Master Draco does not tell Dobby, Dobby knows that Young Master Draco wants to see Miss Hermione. Even if Young Master Draco does not tell Dobby, Dobby knows that Young Master Draco wants to go to their meeting place now."

Draco's glare disappeared and a forlorn look replaced it. He released a huge sigh and pouted. "Yes, you're right. I miss her. I want to see her. I want to go to our meeting place. Now, are you happy?"

Dobby just frowned.

The little blond sighed again. "You don't understand me, Dobby," he said in frustration. "You don't know because you weren't there when I k… I did that."

Dobby continued to frown.

"Hermione hates me now!" he cried.

Again, the little house-elf continued to frown.

"Don't look at me like that, Dobby!" he exclaimed.

Again, he was still frowning.

Draco groaned in frustration. "All right, fine! I'll go see her. I'll prove to you later that she won't be there to see me."

Now, Dobby was grinning. "Young Master Draco is talking nonsense. Dobby feels that Miss Hermione is waiting for Young Master Draco already. So, Young Master Draco should go now. And don't deny that Young Master Draco is not eager to see Miss Hermione."

The little blond just rolled his eyes and walked out of the gazebo. "I'll prove to you that she won't be there," he told him again.

Dobby's grin widened. "But maybe Dobby's suspicion will be right. Maybe, Miss Hermione's waiting for Young Master Draco now."

* * *

Draco was now walking, cursing his personal house-elf under his breath. A sigh would follow and then, he would curse Dobby again.

He couldn't believe he was walking towards the path that leads to their meeting place. Yesterday, he was just in the Malfoy Manor, sighing and sighing and then frowning and then sighing again. But now, here he was, going to their meeting place to meet no one. _'I'll prove to you, Dobby, that Hermione does not want to see me anymore,' _he told his personal house-elf inside his mind.

Now, he was nearing the bench. But still, he was still angry with his personal house-elf. _'So what if I don't want to go?' _he thought inside his head, an adorable pout seen on his face. A few more steps then he would see their bench already. "I'll prove to that nosy little house-elf that Hermione… will not… come." His voice faded once his eyes rested on their meeting place. He was staring, dumbstruck with his mouth agape.

Because, there seated on the bench… on _their _bench, was none other than Hermione herself. She was waiting for him, it seemed. And she still has no idea that the little boy she was waiting for already appeared. And she was still oh so beautiful. Apparently, though, he was utterly shocked to see her and so, he was staring stupidly at the middle of the road.

And because of great surprise, Draco couldn't help but to release a huge, astonished gasp. That seemed to attract Hermione's attention because she immediately looked towards the spot where the little blond was currently standing.

Draco just stared at her while blinking rapidly. He couldn't believe it. Inside his head, he was asking himself, 'Is that really Hermione?' or 'Is she really waiting for me?'

Hermione gave him the biggest smile he had ever seen. The smile reached her eyes, he noticed. But then, quite abruptly, her face crumpled and then she started to cry. Draco, still astonished, continued to stand there while still blinking rapidly. He watched as Hermione suddenly stood up and ran towards him. And then, he didn't know how, but, he found himself trapped tightly between the arms of his crush.

A blush slowly grew from his toes towards the roots of his hair. If someone would be observing, they would noticed that he was as red as the Weasley hair.

The brunette continued to cry. Draco was still clueless as to what to do. And so, he just placed his small hands at her back and rubbed it for comfort. "There, there, Hermione, stop crying now," he told her, a small smile now gracing his lips. He could still hear her sniffling soundly followed by soft coughs. The little blond couldn't help but to close his eyes and hug the crying teenager tighter. Yes, he admitted it whole-heartedly. He had _missed _her. So, so badly. And now, here she was, hugging him tightly, too. She might be crying but… who cares, anyway?

Too bad she already pulled away from him and looked at him straight into his eyes with a big, big smile on her face despite the dampness because of crying.

"I missed you, do you know that?" the brunette asked him, ruffling his blond hair playfully.

Draco just grinned. "I did too, don't worry," he reassured her. He strolled towards their bench while Hermione followed him. The little blond sat down on it and Hermione sat down beside him. He looked at her, a smile still gracing on his pale, handsome face. But then, it immediately turned into a grimace and he slightly glared at the older young girl. "Why didn't you show up these past three days?" he demanded, though, softly since Hermione was still crying.

Hermione stiffened. The little blond noticed it. "Y–you won't understand," she told her softly, her eyes staring down on the ground.

The little blond sighed. "Well, Hermione, you can try me," he told her.

"I-I don't want you to get guilty," she whispered, her eyes now staring straight at the little blond. Hermione noticed the panicked look Draco gave her.

"What do you mean?" he asked, his eyes widening. Hermione noticed that he clutched Mr. Beady tighter to himself. And Hermione noticed that it was her first time to notice Draco's teddy bear. "Did something happen to you? Oh Merlin, Hermione, please tell me."

Hermione just kept staring at the ground.

Draco's eyes narrowed again. "Hermione…"

The brunette sighed in defeat. "All right, fine, I'll tell you. But don't freak out, okay?" she told her.

Now, Draco did freak out. "What did I do?" he asked. He lowered his eyes in an act of guilt. "Was it connected on the day that I told you I… I like you?" His cheeks were slowly turning into red. "I'm… I'm sorry if I freaked you out. I mean, y-you told me I should tell her… _you _before it's too late, didn't you? I-I shouldn't have kissed your cheek to prove my feelings. And then… and then you didn't show up for three days. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told you that. I think… I think…"

"Whoa, whoa, stop," the brunette said, an amused look now present on her face. She shifted her body so now it was facing the little blond. "Okay, Draco, let's make this clear. My disappearance for three days was not connected to your… to your… err… _confession_," the brunette started. "I mean, when you told me you like me, I was flattered, okay? I'm not a shallow person to avoid you just because you fancy me. Understand that?"

A big, wide smile was now seen on Draco's face. "You mean, you're not angry with me?" he asked her, a hopeful look now present on his face.

"Yes," she answered back.

Now, Draco absolutely looked blissful. "So, what's the reason why you didn't show up to me for three consecutive days?" the little blond asked, though, not really angry anymore since he knew that Hermione was not _angry _with him.

The brunette released a tired sigh. "Are you really sure you want to know?" she asked him just to make sure. Once the little blond nodded, Hermione released another sigh. "All right… I was… I was imprisoned by…" – Hermione obviously gulped – "your father in one of the dungeon cells in the Malfoy Manor." The last part was rather said by Hermione quickly.

Then, Draco visibly stiffened. His jaw tightened. His hands were balled into fists. His eyes narrowed. His breathing became slightly faster. He was angry and surprised, Hermione could feel them. Guilt flashed in his eyes and stayed there. Hermione sighed.

"I just told you not to feel guilty," Hermione said. "It's not your fault, Draco. Really. I promise."

The blond swallowed. "How… I mean… why?" he asked slowly, trying to calm his breathing.

Hermione guilty looked at the floor. "Well, Draco," she started, "apparently, your father discovered that I know his… his deepest darkest secret." The blond Malfoy looked at the older brunette with surprise. "He knew that I was trying to convince you to… you know… tell the Ministry of Magic that your father's… _one of them_."

Draco released a soft growl of anger.

The brunette patted the little blond's hair to soothe him. "Now, now, Draco, calm down. I'm fine now. No need to get angry," Hermione told him. Draco relaxed a little bit, though, he was still angry.

"How did he know?!" the blond exclaimed. "I mean, my father only monitors me whenever he suspects something." Draco looked at Hermione wildly. "You're a Pureblood, aren't you, Hermione?" he asked her. The brunette was driven to look away from him because of guilt. "Father normally monitors me if he suspects that I'm mingling with Muggle-borns or Muggles. Unless…" Draco's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "You… you're… Merlin… you…" he spluttered incoherently.

Hermione bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes. Releasing a huge exhale, she slowly said, "I'm sorry, Draco. I lied to you, okay?" she said, now meeting the little blond's eyes. He was still shocked with the revelation he discovered. "I'm… I'm not a Pureblood. I'm a… _filthy _Muggle-born," she spat, slightly angered with the adjective.

And there was silence. The only thing that was heard was their breathing. And then, Draco broke it.

"Why didn't you tell me the truth?" he asked, sadness evident in the tone of his voice. "If you told me before that you are a Muggle-born, then I shouldn't have agreed to be your friend… best friend." Draco stared on his feet forlornly. "Then, my father shouldn't have locked you inside one of the… _scary _dungeons in our Manor." Draco visibly shivered in fright. _'And if I didn't agree to be your friend, then I won't like you. My problem will be solved,' _the blond added in his mind. But, for some reason, he was glad he befriended this beautiful brunette beside him. Yes, he was positively glad.

"I'm sorry," was all Hermione could say.

Draco looked at her again, now a pout evident on his face. "Are you still hiding some secrets from me?" he asked, slightly demanding.

Hermione sighed guiltily. "Actually… yes," she answered him while staring at her clasped hands on her lap. "A lot, honestly."

The little boy showed a hurt expression again. "Like?" he asked.

"The reason why I'm not here is not because of some Head Girl duties," she answered truthfully. "Actually, I'm in a mission… a mission I cannot tell." Now, she was telling the partial truth.

Draco pouted. "What else?" he asked.

A lone tear slipped down Hermione's right eye. "I don't belong here," she told him, almost inaudibly.

"What do you mean?" the blond asked, a worried look now plastered on his face. He didn't like the tone of Hermione's voice.

"I… I belong somewhere else, Draco," she told him while her eyes met his silver ones. "I… I can't stay here. I have to go."

A surprised look was now seen on the little blond's face. "Wh-WHAT?!" he exclaimed. "Wh-when?"

Hermione visibly gulped a lump that formed inside her throat. "Now," she whispered. And she wasn't lying. Today was the 12th of June on the year 1990. Today was her last day. She had to go back to the present… where she belonged… and see for herself what her fate was. "I need to go now."

Draco looked at the ground so the older brunette didn't see his face. "You're going to leave me?" he asked.

The brunette bit her bottom lip. "I'm sorry, Draco. I'm really sorry," she told him as more tears rolled down her face.

And then something happened.

Hermione was, of course, shocked as she stared at the shaking shoulders of the little blond. At first, the brunette thought he was laughing. But then, she was wrong. She was very, very wrong.

Draco released a soft sob and sniffed. And then, he released another sob. And then another. And another until he couldn't control his cries anymore.

The brunette just stared, dumbstruck. In her entire life in Hogwarts, she never, as in, _ever,_ saw Draco Malfoy crying. Hell, she never expected him to cry. Because, Draco Malfoy was a man of ice, in Hermione's opinion. He would never cry because Hermione knew that that was a weakness for him. But now, here she was, staring at a _crying _Draco Malfoy. Yes, he was a ten-year-old boy but still… "Wh-why are you crying?" she managed to croak.

The little blond wiped his tears with the usage of the back of his hand. "Y-you're going to leave me, Hermione?" he asked, now staring at the older brunette through his tears.

"I have to, Draco. I can't stay here. I told you I don't belong here," Hermione answered.

Draco looked at the ground again. "Is…is there any way I can make you stay?" he whispered.

Hermione shook her head forlornly. "None… I'm so sorry," she said.

"Will I see you again?" he asked.

The brunette bit her bottom lip. "It… it depends Draco," she told him.

The little blond released another sob again. "Why?" he asked, his voice getting louder. "Why do you have to go, Hermione? Are you… are you not happy with me?"

"Of course not!" Hermione exclaimed in indignation. "I'm happy with you, Draco. I swear." She stared to nowhere. "Because of you, I… I temporarily forget how I miss them so, so much."

Draco sniffed. "Of course, you miss _him_," he spat, red eyes turning into thin slits.

Hermione made a small smile and placed her right hand on top of his head. "Do you want to know a secret, Draco?" she asked. The little blond looked at her in curiosity. "You're so much like _him_." Draco looked at her in surprise. "That's why… I'm happy with you, Draco. Every time I'm with you, I remember _him _through you." And that was the truth, though, not exactly since the seventeen-year-old and the ten-year-old were one.

"Really?" he adorably asked.

"Yes," Hermione answered him.

Draco softly sniffed and stared at his hands. "You know, Hermione. These past days with you were the best days of my life," he suddenly said.

The brunette looked at him, surprised, and then, she started to cry again. The words he said were like music in Hermione's ears. Unable to control herself, Hermione pulled Draco into a tight hug again and kissed the top of his head. Because of this, she surprised the blond greatly. "Thank you," she whispered followed by a sniff. "Thank you so much."

The little blond made a small smile and placed a light kiss on Hermione's wet cheek. "I'll never forget you, Hermione," he told her. "Promise me you won't forget me, too."

"I promise," she whispered.

And Draco hugged her tighter.

Hermione slightly pulled away from him and looked at him straight at his silver eyes. "Speaking of promises, promise me this, too, Draco." She took a deep breath. "Promise me that no matter what happens… you will tell the Ministry of Magic that your father is a Death Eater."

Draco averted his eyes away from Hermione. "That's… that's hard, Hermione," he told her truthfully.

"Please, just promise me, Draco," she pleaded. "Lucius Malfoy will ruin your life, Draco. He will control your life to the point that you don't know who you truly are anymore."

"Why do you always insist this, Hermione?" the blond demanded.

"Because if you did this, it can help me!" the brunette exclaimed. "It can help my friends… my love ones. And most especially, Draco, it can help you. So please, please, please, tell the Ministry of Magic that your father's one of them."

Draco took a deep breath but didn't answer.

Hermione sighed. "And I want you to promise that you will really give that ring to the girl you will love for the rest of your life, okay?" she asked.

The little blond bit his lower lip. And then, he unclasped the necklace he was wearing. He removed the ring from the lace and mutely (and shyly) gave Hermione the ring. The brunette eyed the ring with raised eyebrows.

"Why are you giving it to me?" the brunette asked even though she really knew the reason. Apparently, Draco knew that she knew it.

"You know my reason, Hermione," he scowled.

Hermione just smiled. "I won't accept it," she simply told him.

"Why not?" he asked.

"Because, you don't love me, Draco. You only _like _me, understand?" she told the blond.

"Is there a difference?" he asked.

"Yes," Hermione answered. "You're only ten-years-old, Draco. Someday, you will find a girl that you will love more than your life. What you feel for me is just a silly crush, Draco. Don't get offended because that's the truth. You really don't know the true feeling of love."

Draco was adorably pouting now. "How does it truly feel because what I feel for you sure seems like one," he told her.

Hermione sighed. "I can't explain to you, okay? You're too young to understand," she told him. The brunette ran a hand through her hair. "Remember how I acted when I told you about _him_?"

The little Malfoy only nodded.

"That's love," she whispered. "That's how much I love him."

Draco just frowned.

"Miss Granger."

Hermione jumped. "Did you hear that?" she asked the blond.

"Hear what?" he asked, curious.

"Don't bother asking him, Miss Granger. Mr. Malfoy can't see nor hear me," Merlin continued.

Hermione looked around wildly until she spotted the old wizard standing just beside her. "Do I need to go now?" she asked. At the corner of her eyes, she saw the curious look of the blond.

"Yes," Merlin said. "You need to go back to your time and see what happens."

"I… I…" Hermione stuttered and then started to cry.

"Hermione? What's wrong?" Draco asked, hugging the brunette again.

"I have to go, Draco. I have to go."

Draco swallowed. "Now?"

"Yes, now," Hermione whispered. She noticed a tear the slipped down Draco's right eye. The brunette sniffed. "You still have to promise me something, Draco."

"What?"

"On your first train ride to Hogwarts," Hermione started, "you might meet a bushy-haired, buck-toothed little girl who will ask for your help to find a toad. Please, promise me that you won't look at her scornfully. Please, promise me that you won't insult her. Please, promise me that you won't laugh at her because she's helping a boy who lost his toad. Please, promise me that you will be her friend, okay?"

"Why?" the blond asked, wiping his face with the back of his hand.

Hermione shook her head. She remembered the first time she saw Draco Malfoy in the Hogwarts Express. He insulted her, she remembered. He also laughed at her which had hurt Hermione's feelings since she developed a little crush for this boy. "Just promise me."

Draco sighed and nodded. "I promise."

The brunette smiled and kissed the top of Draco's head.

"Time's up, Miss Granger," Merlin whispered.

"Goodbye Draco," she said as she stood up from the bench and walked towards Merlin (which she could only see). But then, Draco stopped her when he grabbed her right arm. Hermione looked at Draco curiously. He shyly pulled her right arm down to kiss her right cheek goodbye.

"I'll still like you, remember that," he whispered followed by another kiss.

Hermione just grinned at him before she walked towards Merlin again. Behind her, she could hear the sobs Draco released. The brunette didn't look back because she didn't want to cry again. Once she reached Merlin, the old wizard conjured a portkey.

"At the count of three, Miss Granger," Merlin said. "One…" Hermione didn't take it. She looked back and stared at the still crying blond. "Two…" _'My time's up,' _Hermione thought as she averted her gaze away from the little blond. "Three…" The brunette and Merlin touched the portkey at the same time and then disappeared.

* * *

Hermione blinked rapidly as she went back to the white room (she named it herself since it wasn't named at all). She looked around until her eyes landed on the old wizard. Once again, Merlin was standing behind the desk and staring at the brunette with a small smile.

"Are you all right, Miss Granger?" he asked. Of course, they both knew it was a stupid question.

"I'm not," Hermione answered curtly.

Silence first hung around the white room until Hermione broke it.

"Can't you… can't you extend my deadline, Merlin?" she asked. "Did you see Draco's reaction a while ago when I told him I have to leave him? Please, can I go back to the year 1990 and extend my deadline?"

Merlin looked at Hermione apologetically. "I can't, Miss Granger. I'm sorry. It's Fate's decision, not mine." The old wizard couldn't believe that the brunette told him that. On the first day he told her about their mission for her, she was so hesitant to the point that she didn't want to go. But then, on her last day, she was persuading him to bring her back to the year 1990 and extend her deadline. _'Ah, little Mr. Malfoy did change her,' _Merlin thought to himself.

Hermione just stared at the ground and waited for Merlin to say anything.

"Now, Miss Granger," the old wizard said since he knew that Hermione wouldn't say anything anymore. He pulled out his wand and conjured a door somewhere on his right. The brunette just stared at it. "That's the door that will lead you back to the year 1998. Once you cross the threshold, you will find yourself a few minutes before Mr. Draco Malfoy killed you. Is that clear?"

"Yes," the brunette answered, though, still curtly.

Merlin sighed. "Do you want to go and see your fate Miss Granger or what?" the old wizard asked.

Hermione's eyes watered. "I honestly don't know, Merlin, so please don't ask me," the brunette answered.

The old wizard sighed again. "I know that you still want to be with the ten-year-old Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger, but you can't," the great wizard said.

Tears started to pour down Hermione's eyes. "Draco Malfoy… Draco Malfoy… Draco Malfoy is a stupid bastard because he was born in that stupid family," the brunette said. "Draco Malfoy is a stupid bastard because… because he ridiculed me every time he sees me. And most of all, Draco Malfoy is a stupid bastard because he made me fall in love with him."

"Miss Granger…"

"Never mind what I said, Merlin," Hermione said as she stared at the door and turned her back away from Merlin. "I'll just… go now and see what my fate is."

Merlin sighed. "All right, Miss Granger," he told her. The door automatically opened and shouts and cries immediately filled the white room. Hermione cringed as she saw some lifeless bodies lying on the ground with bloods and filths surrounding them. Fear crossed the brunette's face as one wizard fell once he was hit by the Killing Curse. Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes, firm determination was now seen. Slowly, she walked straight to the door. Before she could cross the threshold, she looked at Merlin.

"Thanks for everything, Merlin. I mean that," she told him. Merlin just smiled. Hermione then turned her back away from him again and walked inside the door to see her fate.

* * *

**Disclaimer (again): The Twilight series are not mine. It's only Stephenie Meyer's, okay?**

**A/N (again): End of chapter! Review, please! Oh, and good news, I already finished typing the chapter after this. I'll just edit hither-thither, then I can update Time's Up! already. The bad news, though, is that the next chapter for PiD is not yet typed by yours truly. But don't worry, since the next chapter for PiD is an important one for the relationship of D/H, I'll try my best to type it as soon as I can. For now, just tell me your opinions for this chapter, okie? Oh, and, fyi, there will only be three chapters left before the end of Time's Up! How sad!! I'll miss this story. **

**With love,  
2booklover4**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: Methinks thou art a loggerhead if thy mind thinks I'm the mickle JK Rowling. **

**A/N: Uhg, fine, I could not help myself. I need to update TU! as soon as possible even though I still haven't update Princess in Disguise. I'm truly, sincerely, utterly sorry for PiD readers because again, I suffering from writer's block. And also, I got sick these past few days. My fever was kinda high, 39.5 degrees Celsius and the mere act of walking made me really, really dizzy so I was forced to sleep day and night until I'm fine. Anyway, I'm not sick anymore (hurrah!) so I can update TU! now. Okay, so, read and review, okay? Enjoy!**

* * *

**The Whole Truth**

_  
May 22, 1998 (After Hermione's task)_

Hermione immediately opened her eyes and released a huge gasp. She looked around. She saw some Death Eaters and some of her classmates… the brunette's eyes widened. She was in Hogwarts where the final battle between good and evil were happening. She was back! She was back in Hogwarts! _'Yes!' _Hermione thought as she dodged a hurtling curse. She winced when she felt a shot of pain in her left arm. She looked at her arm and saw a big injury. Oh, she had forgotten she had one.

Rummaging in her pocket, the brunette looked for her wand. She knew a proper spell to heal her injury. But she had forgotten, too. She had lost her wand.

Hermione looked at the ground and looked for her magical stick. She remembered this. She remembered looking for her wand.

The brunette groped for her wand slowly. She knew what would happen next. Draco Malfoy would be standing in her way. Hermione gulped. Merlin told her that she might or might not succeed in her task. There was a 50-50 chance that Draco did report to the Ministry of Magic that Lucius Malfoy, King of Jerks, was really a Death Eater.

Hermione slowed down more, knowing that she was nearing the spot where she died. And then, she spotted her wand. The brunette was just about to reach for it when a foot stepped on her wand. _Draco Malfoy's _foot. Hermione slowly looked at him. She had seen him again. The 17-year-old blond, albino jerk who made her life a living hell. The same seventeen-year-old blond, albino jerk that she liked… no damn it! The same seventeen-year-old blond, albino she bloody loved.

The brunette swallowed. "Move your foot," she said, trying her best to sound frustrated. She expected him to step on her wand harder until it broke into two. But that didn't happen. Instead, he did move his foot. Hermione's eyes widened. He was giving her her wand! The brunette was about to reach for her precious stick when suddenly, Draco pointed his at her.

Hermione gulped again. This was it. She would die. Draco Malfoy would kill her now. And so, she closed her eyes, waiting for him to say those two blasted words that would kill her.

Minutes passed by but still Hermione could feel her heart beating against her chest… could feel her warm breath… she could still feel she was alive. She was also surprised to feel the pain in her left arm disappear. Hermione immediately opened her eyes and looked at her left arm. To her surprise, her wound disappeared. It was completely healed. And who healed it? The brunette looked at the Slytherin young man in front of her. Draco Malfoy did it.

Draco offered his right hand, which Hermione accepted (though, hesitantly). He pulled her up effortlessly. He didn't let go of her hand. In fact, he held it tighter. "Are you all right?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

Hermione stared at his eyes, searching and searching. His concern was sincere. He really was worried. The brunette was surprised to see warmth in his gray orbs. His emotions were evident; his usual mask of calmness was gone. She was also surprised to see that he wasn't looking at her in disdain. Actually, he was looking at her with care. And he didn't even bother hiding it!

This man was definitely not the same Draco Malfoy she knew. And that fact had hit her hard.

She succeeded! If Draco wasn't the arrogant, Muggle-hater one, then that meant he wasn't brainwashed with those craps. Then, that meant there was no one to brainwash him… not even Lucius Malfoy. The ten-year-old Draco had a big possibility of telling the Ministry of Magic that his father was a Death Eater.

Hermione released a soft sob as she stared at Draco. He was the same ten-year-old boy she had met. Not based on the physical aspects. Not based on maturity but based on his heart. He was the same sweet, cheerful boy with a contagious laugh she had met in the year 1990.

"Hermione…" he whispered.

The brunette gasped. He'd called her by her first name! She did succeed! "I… I…" – she swallowed a lump in her throat. "I… I'm…" And then, she broke down into tears. She couldn't help it. She succeeded. She could still live. And the Slytherin that was standing in front of her was not the despicable one. She was so happy… very, very happy that was why she couldn't help but shed some tears of joy.

And then, Draco did the unexpected. He pulled Hermione towards him for a tight embrace. "Hush, Hermione. Don't cry. Stop crying," the blond soothed, stroking her brown mane affectionately.

Hermione looked up at him, her chin lightly resting against his chest. She gave him a questioning look as more tears ran down her eyes. Why was he hugging her? And why was he looking at her like that? She'd seen that look in some Muggle movies… _romantic _Muggle movies. That was the look a person gave to another person he or she loved so much. Was Draco… He had cut her musings when he suddenly gave her a kiss on the lips.

The kiss was quite long and Hermione found herself kissing him back. His kiss was full of emotions… she noticed that and one thing was pure relief. His kiss was telling her he was relieved she was alive. Another emotion in his kiss was something very foreign to the brunette. She didn't know what it was. Hermione released a soft sob again as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him more fiercely, her right hand placed at the back of his neck as she pulled him closer. Oh God, she loved him so much… she loved him oh so much. She wanted to do this before… forever… to kiss him just because. There didn't have to be any reason. And now, here they were, kissing each other fiercely… passionately at the middle of a war. Hermione didn't have any clue as to why he initiated a kiss but right now, it didn't matter. She released another sob and then, Draco pulled away from her. Hermione almost whimpered, not wanting him to break their kiss immediately.

The brunette stared at him, her eyes wide and glossy because of tears. She watched as he placed both of his hands at the side of her wet cheeks, brushing her tears away from her face.

"Hush, love," he whispered, kissing her forehead.

Hermione sniffed; shocked he had just called her 'love'. It startled her, really. Draco had just called her that… that term of endearment.

Draco then pulled her closer. Hermione bit her bottom lip, still feeling his lips. That few minutes were the best thing that happened to her! She was aware that they were hugging in the middle of the war. But, she didn't care. Hermione wrapped her arms around him tighter and buried her face on his chest as she continued to softly cry.

"I'm so glad you're still fine, 'Mione," he whispered, kissing the top of her head. "I'm so glad."

Hermione just sniffed. "Draco," she said, just wanting to say his name out loud.

He kissed her head again and hugged her tighter. Was it possible he felt the same way, too? That thought bothered Hermione. But it was possible… very, very possible. His hug, his look, his kiss, when he called her 'love'… Hermione snuggled against his chest. Yes, she thought it was possible. It was possible that Draco Malfoy loved her, too.

Suddenly, he pushed her away from him, catching Hermione off guard. She then fell flat on the ground, her head hitting against a big rock. Stars exploded in front of her eyes as she slowly looked at Draco. She had seen a green jet of light just barely hitting the blond. Hermione's eyes widened. She was just about to be hit by the Killing Curse. Luckily, Draco pushed her just in time.

She watched as Draco immediately scrambled towards her, arms hastily wrapping themselves around her. He then carefully placed her head on his lap.

"Hermione, are you all right?" he asked, worry evident in his voice.

"Ow," was all Hermione could say. She watched as Draco stared at his right hand, blood slowly trickling down the ground. Blood… her own blood. The last thing the brunette saw was the horrified look on Draco's face before everything turned black.

* * *

Hermione opened her eyes. She immediately closed them as blinding, white light greeted her. The brunette groaned. Her head was bloody hurting her.

"Good, you're awake."

Hermione opened her eyes abruptly. "Merlin?" she said, looking at the old wizard who was once again standing behind the desk. The brunette noticed that she was seated on a small, red, comfy chair. She looked around and noticed that everything was white again. She was back in the place where she was after Draco killed her. She was back in the white room. "Why am I here?" Hermione inquired, suddenly feeling panicky. "Am I dead, Merlin? Tell me. Am I dead?"

Merlin softly chuckled. "Heavens no, Miss Granger," he said, smiling widely at the witch. "Mr. Malfoy didn't kill you. You've succeeded with your task. Congratulations."

A look of confusion was seen on Hermione's face. "Then, why am I here?" she asked, looking around again. Her gaze then stopped on Merlin. "I don't understand."

The wizard smiled. "Miss Granger, I promised to tell you the whole truth, didn't I?" he said.

Hermione nodded, understanding it already. "All right, tell me the whole truth then," she said, making herself comfortable on the chair. She placed her hands on her lap and looked at Merlin eagerly. She just really wanted to know the whole truth.

"There really is a reason why we chose you as the person who'll change Mr. Malfoy's heart… to fix Mr. Malfoy's fate," Merlin started. The brunette raised an eyebrow. "Actually, Miss Granger, Fate and I chose you because we know that you are the one who was greatly affected with the change of his fate. And so, we both agreed that it would only be fair if the supposed-to-be most important person in Mr. Malfoy's life change his fate."

"What do you mean?" she asked, confusion evident in her voice.

"Miss Granger, did he act a bit… odd before he killed you?" the old wizard asked, a knowing smile on his wrinkly face.

Hermione frowned. "Actually…" she slowly said. "He did act a bit weird. I… I remember he sounded a bit hesitant in killing me."

Merlin's smile grew. "Yes, yes, Mr. Malfoy was hesitant," he said. Seeing Hermione's deeper frown, the old wizard sighed. "You see, Miss Granger, Draco Malfoy didn't want to kill you. He was ordered by Voldemort to kill you because…"

"Because?" Hermione asked, getting more interested. So Draco was ordered by Voldemort to kill her. He didn't kill her on purpose.

"Because you are a hindrance. Voldemort was afraid that you'll be the reason why a potential powerful Death Eater won't become his follower," Merlin explained. Hermione just frowned. He conjured another comfy chair across Hermione and sat on it. "Mr. Malfoy became a Death Eater on the summer before your 7th year, Miss Granger. That summer, Voldemort gave him a task to prove his loyalty since he can sense that this boy was becoming hesitant in following his orders because of a certain _hindrance. _And that task was to kill you once school started."

Hermione gasped with a look on horror on her face. They had live in the same dorm. She was living with someone who was plotting her death! She shivered. So, that was why Draco Malfoy kept acting weird around her the whole year.

"But, Mr. Malfoy failed to kill you the first time you were alone with him in the Heads' Dormitory," Merlin continued. "Voldemort knew about this and punished this boy but he still gave him a chance. But as days… weeks… months passed by, Mr. Malfoy grew more and more hesitant in killing you because of his own personal reason." Merlin gave her another knowing smile. "Voldemort knew his reason and threatened to kill his parents. And so, he has no choice but to kill you."

Hermione frowned. "What was his reason?" she asked.

"Miss Granger, your feelings for him are not one-sided," Merlin explained.

"What?"

Merlin smiled again. "Your feelings are reciprocated, Miss Granger, even though you do not know." The old wizard clasped both of his hands and stared at the shocked brunette. "Mr. Malfoy loves you, too, Miss Granger, you see. Very, very much. His feelings, like yours, were felt ever since 1st year. Though, it grew and became more genuine when both of you were in 4th year already."

Hermione stared at him, her jaw ajar. And then, she released a laugh because of disbelief. She laughed and laughed and laughed, watching Merlin. She waited for the old wizard to laugh at his own joke. She waited for the old wizard to cry out loud 'April Fools!' even though it wasn't April, yet. But no, he didn't. Instead, he stared at her in amusement. Hermione then stopped laughing. "You're serious."

"Indeed I am," Merlin said, nodding.

The brunette shook her head vigorously. "It's impossible, Merlin! Preposterous! Draco Malfoy hated me… hated the mere fact that I exist in this world. He made every second of my life miserable. He calls me a Mudblood… insults me as if it's the most natural thing to do." Hermione was standing now. "If… if he does love me, then why did he do all those things? And the way he… he treats me doesn't look like he cares for me at all! I mean… I mean I do love him. So, so much, too. Yes, I told you before that I always wished that he loves me, too. But we both know that that's impossible! And now… and now you're telling me that he… he bloody loves me all along! Is this some kind of a sick joke, Merlin, huh? Is this some kind of a sick joke?!" Once she was done with her little speech, she was breathing heavily. She was also surprised that her eyes were a little watery. Hermione then sat down on the empty chair, blinking back her unexpected tears.

Merlin was looking at her with a small smile despite her accusation. "Understand, Miss Granger, that Mr. Malfoy has reasons to hide his feelings," he explained.

"Reasons again!" Hermione groaned, covering her face with her hands.

The old wizard shook his head. Her feelings were really mutual. "The kiss he gave you before you passed out was enough proof," he explained.

Hermione blushed. So Merlin had seen that little episode, too, huh? The brunette bit her bottom lip, refusing to answer. Actually, she really just didn't know what to retort back.

"You changed his heart, didn't you? You have succeeded in your task," Merlin suddenly said.

Hermione took a peek between her fingers. "And?" she asked, carefully observing the old wizard in front of her.

"Mr. Malfoy's fate was completely fixed… changed" he explained further. "And it's all because of you, Miss Granger."

The brunette removed her hands from her face. "What does that mean?"

Merlin smiled. "Do you want me to tell you what happened after you left Mr. Malfoy in your meeting place?" he asked. His smile grew when Hermione nodded. "After you left, Lucius Malfoy found his son in your meeting place, crying quite loudly."

Hermione made a small smile. She still felt quite special she was given the privilege to be the first person to see Draco Malfoy cry.

"Lucius… let's just say… punished his son because he made a rule that no Malfoys can cry. It was forbidden. And apparently, upon seeing Mr. Beady, Lucius Malfoy confiscated Mr. Malfoy's teddy bear."

"What?!" the brunette shrieked.

"Do not worry, Miss Granger. His personal house-elf healed him and helped him to get Mr. Beady again," Merlin reassured. When Hermione had calmed down, he continued, "After that, Mr. Malfoy snuck to the Ministry of Magic with the help of Dobby" – Hermione gasped in surprise – "Yes, Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy did that. Anyway, this boy had told Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic that time, that his father is a Death Eater. At first, Cornelius didn't believe him but then, he was proven right. And so, Lucius Malfoy was sentenced in Azkaban and received the Dementor's Kiss a week after his imprisonment."

"So, Draco really did his promise," Hermione said with a small smile.

"Narcissa Malfoy became insane," he continued. "She was confined in St. Mungo's. A month after that, she died."

"Draco became an orphan?" Hermione asked, suddenly saddened by the information.

"He was supposed to be one, Miss Granger. Fate decided to do that," Merlin explained. "After Narcissa's funeral, Mr. Malfoy received his Hogwarts acceptance letter. Since his parents died, he became the new head of the Malfoy family. He's still too young so Severus Snape, his godfather, helped him."

"First year, he fulfilled another promise he made." Merlin then leaned forward a little. "While he was riding in the Hogwarts Express together with Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, a bushy, brown-haired and buck-teethed girl came into their compartment and asked for help in finding a toad named Trevor. Mr. Malfoy, remembering his promise, did help this bushy, brown-haired girl. Soon, he became friends with Hermione Granger."

The brunette couldn't help but smile.

"He was sorted in Slytherin and she was sorted in Gryffindor," the old wizard continued. "This house differences didn't bother him at all. No, let me correct that. Yes, it did bother him because he knew that if you are a Slytherin and you befriended a Gryffindor, you're like betraying your own house and vice versa. But Mr. Malfoy chose to ignore this because of, of course, his promise he made. He also met Harry Potter that time. And surprisingly, he befriended him, too."

"And then, the troll incident came."

Hermione cringed, remembering how she almost died that time.

"Mr. Malfoy came to save you" – the brunette's eyes widened – "followed by Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley. There shouldn't have been a Golden Trio, Miss Granger. It should have been a Quartet."

"Do you mean –."

"Yes, Miss Granger, Draco Malfoy was supposed to be one of your best friends," Merlin explained. "He smiled at the look of disbelief on Hermione's face. "And then, he also came with the three of you when Harry Potter saved the Sorcerer's Stone from Voldemort's clutches. He contributed a lot in the huge chessboard together with Mr. Weasley, by the way."

"Second year – it was the first time someone called you the insult of being a Muggle-born. Yes, Mr. Weasley still vomited slugs here and Mr. Harry Potter helped him. Mr. Malfoy, in the other hand, was the one who helped you."

"Really?" she whispered.

Merlin nodded. "Of course you cried. And to cheer you up, Mr. Malfoy gave you Mr. Beady."

Hermione laughed softly.

"And second year, this was also the opening of the Chamber of Secrets." Merlin paused for a minute. "Something happened to you this particular year, right?"

The brunette nodded. "I was petrified by a basilisk."

"Yes," Merlin said. "And so, Harry Potter and Mr. Weasley went to the Chamber of Secrets to kill the basilisk and save Miss Ginny Weasley. Mr. Malfoy, in the other hand, volunteered to look after you. He also somehow helped Madam Poppy Pomfrey in making the antidote for basilisk petrification."

"Third year – ah, this was an interesting year," Merlin said with a wide grin and a strange glint in his emerald eyes. "You came across with Dementors, life-sucking beasts. And you and your best friends saved Sirius Black, Harry Potter's godfather and Mr. Malfoy's relative. All of you thought that he really was the one who killed James and Lily Potter. But of course, it came out that it was Peter Pettigrew, or 'Scabbers' as what Mr. Weasley calls him in his rat form, who framed up Sirius." Merlin then stroked his beard carefully. "You did something to Mr. Malfoy this year, didn't you?"

Hermione equally grinned. "Yes, I did," she said, softly chuckling at her memory. "That's when I punched that good-for-nothing jerk."

"Because that good-for-nothing jerk kissed you," Merlin finished. He laughed when Hermione suddenly turned red.

"I… I punched him before because he insulted Hagrid." Hermione blinked several times. "He… he was supposed to be my first kiss?" the brunette asked, unconsciously touching her lips. She turned redder when she remembered their meaningful and passionate kiss just before she passed out.

"And you were supposed to be his first kiss," the old wizard added.

Hermione bit her bottom lip. "Why" – she swallowed – "did he do that?"

"His feelings, Miss Granger. He's starting to realize his feelings," Merlin explained, making Hermione blush more furiously. "And because of that kiss, things started to become awkward between you two. But of course, you missed each other's presence. And so, before the school year ended, both of you agreed to forget that incident and continue to stay as best friends."

The brunette released a soft breath. That was… an interesting year just like Merlin said.

"Fourth year – the Triwizard Tournament," he continued. "This year, Harry Potter was chosen as surprisingly the 4th champion. For you, what was the most interesting part of this tournament?"

Hermione frowned. "Err… the 3rd task? It was interesting but terrifying. The Death of Cedric Diggory and all. Harry blamed himself for that, you know. Oh, and also the rise of Voldemort again. Interesting… but terrifying."

Merlin chuckled. "Many will beg to differ, Miss Granger," he said, watching as she raised her eyebrow. "They'll think that the most interesting part of the Triwizard Tournament was the Yule Ball."

She just snorted. "Well, I beg to differ," she told the old wizard.

"Why, Miss Granger, a lot of girls were jealous of you because your date was Viktor Krum, the Quidditch Seeker Extraordinaire," Merlin said, smiling. Hermione rolled her eyes, knowing what the wizard said was true. "And of course, some boys were jealous of Viktor Krum, too."

"Really?" Hermione asked. "I know a lot of them were ogling at me that night because of how I look." She frowned. She rested her elbow on the armrest, chin on her hand. "But I didn't know that some were jealous of Viktor because he was my date."

"But someone was, Miss Granger," Merlin said.

"Who?" she asked, interested.

The old wizard raised three fingers. "Three guesses."

Hermione rolled her eyes but guessed anyway. "Harry?" she asked even though knowing that that wasn't true. Harry fancies Cho Chang that time.

Merlin shook his head. "Two more."

"Ron?" she asked. She remembered that this redhead had a silly crush on her. He said it himself. But Hermione knew that it was just a silly crush and so, she rejected him. Ron didn't talk to her after that. But after three days, he started to be the usual bubbly Ronald. Hermione guessed he got over her already and had a new crush. Typical him.

"I thought he stopped liking you before the end of your 3rd year?" Merlin asked.

"Yeah," she said. His confession happened on their 3rd year.

"Then Mr. Weasley isn't the one," Merlin said. He then flashed a knowing smile. "One more, Miss Granger. You're intelligent. You will guess this already. We've been talking about him already. There, I gave you a clue."

Hermione then turned into a deep shade of red. She knew the answer already. She mumbled.

"Pardon?"

"Draco Malfoy," she whispered in repetition.

"Correct," Merlin said, smiling. "Even before you fixed fate, Mr. Malfoy was jealous of Viktor Krum in the Yule Ball."

Hermione frowned. So that was the reason why he kept on glaring at her and Viktor. She only thought that he did that because he couldn't talk to Viktor anymore since he already had Mudblood germs. The brunette blushed. She remembered wishing that he glared at both of them because he was jealous. She knew that was only wishful thinking but now, she knew that was the truth.

"5th year," he added, staring at her in amazement. "That was the year when you and your best friends made the Dumbledore's Army or the D.A. Mr. Malfoy came with you, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom in the Department of Mysteries."

"But before I fixed fate, he was part of the Inquisitorial Squad made by Umbridge," she said, making a face.

"Oh, there was an Inquisitorial Squad but he wasn't part of it," Merlin explained. Hermione just nodded her head. "And 6th year – what do you remember that happened to Draco Malfoy that time?"

"He almost killed Professor Dumbledore," Hermione answered, remembering what Harry had told her.

Merlin nodded. "When his fate was fixed, he also almost killed Albus. But not because of an order of Voldemort but because of the Imperius Curse the Dark Lord had placed on him himself." He then stopped to rub his chin. "It was lucky Harry Potter was there. But sadly, Severus still killed the Hogwarts Headmaster."

"Mr. Malfoy almost got expelled because of this but you and your friends defended him and so, he was forgiven." Merlin clasped his hands again. "Seventh year – this was the most interesting year of all," he said, giving her another knowing smile, making Hermione frown. "It became rocky between you and Mr. Malfoy."

"Rocky?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Since both of you are teenagers, you had some relationships," Merlin explained. "Mr. Malfoy had a lot of girlfriends since he's a heartthrob" – Hermione snorted – "and you, Miss Granger, you had a relationship with Mr. Ron Weasley."

Hermione gagged. "Ron?" she asked in disbelief. "I should have a relationship with Ron? I never dreamed of that. When fate was still messed up, I told you I rejected him because I know that all he felt for me was a silly crush."

Merlin smiled. "Yes, I know, Miss Granger. That's why you broke up with him just after a week," he said, looking at her in amazement. "And almost everyday, you didn't talk to Mr. Malfoy."

The brunette frowned. "And why?"

"Jealousy," Merlin simply said, making the brunette blush. "But don't worry, Miss Granger. Mr. Malfoy was jealous of Mr. Weasley, too."

"Then… what happened?" she asked. "You said this was the very interesting year. What happened next?"

"Well… a month before the war, you and Mr. Malfoy became a couple," he calmly said. "Mr. Malfoy confessed one day after Slytherin won in a Quididtch match."

And there was silence.

Hermione just stared at him, her mouth ajar.

"Look at your finger in your right hand, Miss Granger," Merlin instructed. Hermione followed and was surprised to see her ring. She remembered that she had given it to Draco's tenth birthday. She even remembered the promise he made since he didn't want to wear it. Too sissy, he said.

"_All right, just promise me that you'll give that ring to the girl you knew you will love for the rest of your life," Hermione told the blond. _

_Draco made a face. "That wouldn't happen. Malfoys don't love.'_

_Hermione snorted._ _She honestly thought that it was loads of rubbish__. "Just promise me, Draco." _

_He rolled his eyes. "All right, fine, I promise." _

Hermione gasped and looked at Merlin with wide eyes.

"Mr. Malfoy gave you that ring on your first date," Merlin said, chuckling at the surprised look on Hermione's face. "And I believe it meant something."

The brunette blushed and swallowed. "So, he did give that ring to me after all," she murmured softly. "Can I see how he asked me to be his girl… err… girlfriend?" Hermione suddenly blurted out before she could stop herself. So Draco Malfoy was supposed to be her boyfriend? And he had given her her ring, for goodness' sake! Oh, she bloody well knew what that meant.

"Of course," Merlin said as he pulled out his wand. "I'll let you watch this memory in your dream. But before I do that, I just want to tell you I have to go. I'll come back as soon as possible. I just need to get something."

Hermione just nodded.

"Good, now close your eyes," Merlin instructed. Hermione followed and closed her eyes. The old wizard pressed the tip of his wand against her temples and said a non-verbal spell. The brunette then fell into a nap. With that, Merlin apparated. He would come back soon.

* * *

_**Dream (A Memory when fate was fixed): **_

_  
The rain was heavy. The grass was muddy. Everything was drenched with the rain. It seemed like it wasn't rejoicing with the victory of the Slytherin Quidditch team. Funny how a lot were happy with the success. And one brunette was definitely happy with the result of the game. By the way, she was a _Gryffindor._ Well, who wouldn't blame her? Her best friend was the captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team. It was just normal to be happy for your best friend, right?_

_Hermione Granger looked up at the sky and sighed as the rain continued to pour down her body. She was completely drenched already. _'I really hate the rain,'_ she thought as she looked around the Quidditch pitch again. She was just finding her best friend, the one and only Draco Malfoy, to congratulate him for his team's victory. She was glad he and his teammates succeeded against the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. It puzzled her why he wasn't in the Heads' Dormitory for the victory party. Harry and Ron were already celebrating for their best friend's success, too. _

_The brunette sighed again as she looked everywhere for his blond hair. She had just started to talk to him after she came in the Heads' Dormitory only to see him snogging Pansy Parkinson. Hermione cringed at the memory. It was disgusting… he was kissing a dog, for crying out loud! Ew!_

_Hermione steadied herself as she almost slipped and then, bit her bottom lip. The kiss that they had shared on their 3__rd__ year was still vivid in her mind. It was four years ago but still, Hermione could feel his soft lips pressed against hers. She knew they had agreed to forget about that and continue their friendship but strangely, Hermione couldn't… she wouldn't. It was stupid, really. Draco had shown her what he truly felt towards her. He didn't say it but he did show. And Hermione had a huge feeling she already felt the same way for him. Breaking-up with Ron was a proof. One time when Ron kissed her, all she remembered was the kiss she shared with Draco. And that freaked her out. _

_She ran her hand through her wet hair. It was just after she witnessed the kiss between Draco and Parkinson Hermione knew what she truly felt for this particular blond. Hermione shook her head. Who was she kidding? She knew what she truly felt after he kissed this particular blond._

_She was in love with him. She had just admitted that now. Like what she had thought a while ago, she knew she loved him ever since the kiss they shared. And goodness, it was evident Draco loved her too. Not the brotherly love. As in _in_ love. It was obvious. The way he reacted when he found out she was going out with Ron… they way he reacted when he found out she broke-up with Ron… it was obvious. And because of that, Hermione loved him more. She was glad her feelings were reciprocated. _

_The problem was, neither of them made any moves yet. _

_The brunette sighed. She kept on waiting and waiting… it was stupid. She didn't know when Draco would make a move. And if she made a move, he would think she was desperate. A small part of her was having silly thoughts of maybe he really didn't feel the same way as she did. It was a small part, but still, Hermione couldn't help but believe that that might be the truth. She had cursed herself countless times for saying yes to Viktor Krum in the Yule Ball without waiting for Draco to ask her. It was the blond's fault, anyway. He waited an hour _before_ the actual ball itself. That jerk. He thought that no one would dare ask Hermione. Ha! Viktor did! The whole ball, Hermione couldn't help but smirk towards Draco while he continued to cast glares towards her and the Quidditch Seeker Extraordinaire. And a small part of her also couldn't help but curse Viktor Krum for asking her first than Draco. _

_Hermione snorted. Love was really stupid but at the same time, it was clever… and conniving… and sneaky… just like a Slytherin. It suddenly appears without even warning both people. Yes, definitely clever, conniving, and sneaky. _

_It was also a nice feeling. With love, you had reasons to wake up everyday. In the case of Hermione, another reason to wake up everyday (her other reasons were classes, studying, homework, and the likes). _

_Her thoughts were immediately forgotten once she saw him running towards the Hogwarts castle. He was still wearing his Quidditch robes while clutching his beloved Nimbus 2001. That was another problem she had every time she saw him. Her mind instantly went blank. Luckily, her brain cells immediately processed what was happening and quickly recovered her thoughts. Sometimes, she really thanked Merlin she was born intelligent. If not, maybe she would look pretty stupid in front of Draco. _

"_DRACO!" she shouted through the roaring rain, waving frantically for the blond to see her. She grinned when he looked around for the source of the voice. And then, his face landed on hers. He then broke into a smile. Hermione's grin became larger. It was seldom Draco smiled a true, genuine smile. Actually, he smiled once or twice or thrice a month. It would be a miracle if he managed to smile a lot. And mostly, those smiles were directed towards her, Harry, and Ron. _

_Hermione watched as he jogged towards her. When he stopped, he was already a few inches in front of her. _

"_What the hell are you doing out here, Hermione?!" he asked loudly. "It's raining hard! You very well know that you have a low immune system!"_

_Hermione grinned. That was Draco, always thinking about her health before anything else. Especially if it was raining hard. "Congratulations!" she exclaimed, giving him a _friendly_ hug. She just ignored what he had said to her. "I knew you'd win! Harry and Ron knew that, too!" She then gave him a friendly pat on the back. "Come on, they organized a party in the Heads' Dormitory. Harry and Ron had been waiting for you for hours!" _

_Hermione was about to pull away from the _friendly_ hug but Draco continued to hold her tight. The brunette released a nervous laugh. His hug was making her blush scarlet. She again gave him another pat on the back. "Come on, dragon, they're waiting for you already," Hermione said, calling him using her favorite pet name. _

_But then again, Draco continued to hold her. _

"_Draco, I'm going to get sick," she teased, softly chuckling. "If you don't let me go, tomorrow, I won't talk to you since you made me sick." And then, she looked up, her chin gently resting against his chest. Surprisingly, he was looking down at her, a strange glint in his eyes. Hermione had seen that look before. It was when he kissed her in 3__rd__ year. _

"_Draco…" she whispered, watching as leaned closer and closer and closer. Her breathing became heavy, her heartbeat started to beat furiously, her face started to heat up. She was starting to hyperventilate. _

_Draco then gently placed his right hand at her cheek, caressing it softly until it disappeared behind her brown tresses. Hermione closed her eyes. She could already feel his warm breath brushing against her face. _

_And then, it happened. _

_He kissed her. _

_It was only seconds before he pulled away but for Hermione, it seemed like they kissed for years. And honestly, she missed it. She missed the way his lips pressed against hers and moved with perfect synchronization with her own. She missed the way something warm formed at the pit of her stomach when he wrapped his arm around her waist to pull her closer to him. And most of all, she missed the way he made her feel that indeed, he was really in love with her. _

_And for Hermione, darn it all but Draco Malfoy right now was looking at her like a man in love. _

_The brunette swallowed and looked at the muddy ground. "That was… that was our third kiss," she whispered. Hermione watched as his feet shifted slightly. _

"_Umm… actually, it's our fourth," he whispered back. Hermione snapped her head up and stared at Draco in disbelief (the blond was red from head to toe). _

"_What do you mean?" she asked him, her voice dropping into octaves. _

_Draco swallowed and ran a hand through his face to get rid of rain from his eyes. "Re-remember the day when the Slytherins locked me out from the Slytherin Common Room? I… I waited for you beside the portrait of the Fat Lady until you finished your prefect duties and you found me seated on the floor."_

"_Yeah? So?" Hermione said, getting a little panicky. "I didn't remember any… any kissing scenes that time, Draco." _

_The blond looked sheepish. "Because, our third kiss was supposed to be a secret from you," the blond answered. _

_Hermione narrowed her eyes. "Explain," she demanded. _

"_Okay, okay, calm down," Draco said, raising both of his gloved hands in defense. "I kissed you while you were sleeping, all right? There, I said it. Are you happy now?" _

_The brunette looked enraged because she didn't know that they kissed on their fifth year. "Why the bloody, burning hell did you do that?!" she exclaimed. _

"_Because I love you!" he confessed. "I… I love you ever since fourth year." Draco balled his hands into fists. "Our… our first and second kiss. I lied, I'm very sorry. They did _mean _something to me, Hermione. Actually, they meant everything to me. Because you see, after I realized that I'm so damnably in love with you, I was ecstatic to learn that I did fulfill another promise I made." _

_Now, Hermione positively looked livid. "Why didn't you tell me before?!" she shrieked, eyes lit up because of fury. _

"_Because… because I thought that you will reject me," Draco whispered softly. "Because I thought that all you want from me is mere friendship. Because… because I thought that all you felt for me is plain friendship." _

"_I love you," Hermione stated matter-of-factly. _

"_Yes, yes, I know you love me," Draco said, waving a dismissive hand. "I know you care for me. I know you love me, platonically speaking." _

"_No, you bloody bastard, I LOVE YOU," the brunette said. _

_Draco's jaw dropped. "As in… love _love_?" _

_Hermione was blushing furiously but nodded nonetheless. "Ever since fourth year, too. I lied also, you know." She dug the heel of her shoe deeper into the mud. "The… kiss… I mean _kisses _we shared on third year meant something to me, too, Draco. I punched you because you know what I felt?" Draco shook his head. "Sparks. Electricity. And it bloody gave me the willies. That's why I avoided you at the rest of the year. I avoided you because I was afraid I'm…" – she looked up and locked gazes with Draco – "slowly falling in love with you already. Which I really am." _

_And to prove her point, she kissed him again. This kiss, though, was quite longer than the other one. She was the one who broke it and watched as Draco's dazed eyes locked with her large, embarrassed, brown eyes. _

_The Slytherin blond's jaw dropped lower, if it was possible. And then, he broke into the most gigantic, and enormous, and gargantuan smile Hermione had ever seen before. He enveloped here into his arms as tight as possible. He kissed the top of her wet hair again and again, whispering how much he loved her. And Hermione… well, she just closed her eyes and smiled contentedly. "Be my girlfriend, then."_

_Hermione abruptly stopped smiling. Her eyes snapped open and immediately widened and her jaw dropped. That wasn't expected. All she wanted to do was to congratulate him and then escort him to the Heads' Dormitory to party. And now, here she was, trapped between his strong arms while being asked to be his girlfriend. Unbelievable… oh the joy!_

_Hermione gave him a crooked smile that he bloody loved, though, she had no clue at all. "You can't just order me to become one, Draco Malfoy," she said, teasing him. Really, it was not proper. "You shouldn't order a girl to become your girlfriend. You should _ask_."_

_Draco laughed. "Pardon me, Hermione Granger," he said, making Hermione smile. "But, will you be my girlfriend?" _

_She bit her bottom lip. And then leaned forward to give him a quick peck on the lips. That was her answer. _

_The blond raised an eyebrow, a big smile on his pale, handsome face. "I asked you a question, you should answer me. That was very rude." _

_Hermione laughed and then shouted at the top of her lungs, "YES!" _

_Draco also grinned. _

_And then, the brunette raised an eyebrow. "What about your pet dog?" she asked. Hermione laughed at the confused look the blond gave her. She then wiped her eyes to get rid of rain and said, "I was talking about Parkinson. Aren't you going out with her?" _

"_Going out?!" the blond exclaimed. "Hell no!" _

"_The kiss, Draco. I saw you snogging her," the brunette said, shuddering. _

_Draco shuddered, too. "Oh, that," he said, making a disgusted face. "She was the one who kissed me," he explained. And then, he broke into a smirk. "Aha! So that's the reason why you refused to talk to me!" He laughed. "Oh, someone was jealous." _

_The brunette scowled and turned into a deep shade of red. She then hit him. _

_The blond chuckled. "All right, all right, I'm sorry," he said. "But I do swear she's the one who kissed me." _

_Hermione rolled her eyes, a smile gracing on her pink lips. "Was it good, Malfoy?" she asked._

"_Better than yours," Draco teased, making Hermione laugh again. And then, she sneezed. The blond chuckled and entwined his fingers with hers. He also bent down to hold his Nimbus 2001 in his other empty hand. "Come on, let's go to my party," he said as he kissed her hand and pulled her. "And don't talk to me tomorrow. I think you'll get sick." _

_Hermione just laughed._

**End of Dream**

* * *

Hermione then opened her eyes, gasping for air. That was how he asked her to be his girlfriend. It was like… a dream come true.

"Satisfied with the memory?" Merlin asked, watching the brunette carefully.

The brunette looked at him, her cheeks tainted with red. "Ye-yes," she stuttered. She still couldn't help but to remember that memory.

The old wizard gave her a smile. "Now, Miss Granger," he said, retrieving a red hardbound book. Hermione presumed it was a photo album. "This is your photo album.." Hermione was right. Merlin handed her the red album. "You own one when fate was fixed already. It is filled with photos of you and your best friends. Go on, look."

Hermione nodded and looked at the thing clutched between her hands. Her name was emblazoned in gold. Slowly, she opened it. The first page consisted of her pictures with captions. She knew they were captured by a Muggle camera since the picture wasn't moving.

The next page, she was now together with Harry, Ron, and surprisingly… Draco Malfoy. She knew it was their first year because of their appearances. There was also a caption.

_This is the first picture I captured with my best friends. The black haired one with eyeglasses and the famous thunderbolt-shaped scar is the one and only Harry Potter. The red-headed one with blue eyes is Ron Weasley. And lastly, the one with blond hair and gray eyes is Draco Malfoy. _

Hermione stared at the picture a little longer. All of them were happy. Even Draco was happy. That made Hermione smile.

The next few pictures, she was either alone with Harry, Ron, or Draco. There was one picture where the three of them were practicing Quidditch. Hermione laughed at her caption. It was short but true.

_Typical boys. _

The brunette grinned. She really didn't despise Quidditch. It was just that it was stealing precious time from her best friends. Hermione then stopped at one photograph. The three boys were flashing boyish smiles with their arms draped around each other's shoulders. She smiled at the picture. From the looks of their faces, it meant that their friendship was real. Hermione then read the caption.

_These are the three boys whom I love from the very bottom of my heart. _

She again looked at each faces. If Harry and Ron heard that they should be best friends with Draco Malfoy, they'd personally escort that person to St. Mungo's. But it was true. Their faces showed happiness. Hermione had never seen Draco Malfoy happy before.

The next picture she saw, she couldn't help but chuckle. Merlin was right. Draco did give her his teddy bear. There was the picture where she was smiling widely while clutching Mr. Beady.

_This is a picture of me holding Mr. Beady. Draco gave me his teddy bear when a Slytherin called me the M-word to cheer me up. He said someone who was important to him gave it to him on his tenth birthday. _

She turned more and more pages. Hermione then noticed that there were fewer pictures of her together with Harry and Ron. A lot were pictures of her and Draco. Hermione suspected it was the start of her realization towards her feelings for him. And then, one picture caught her eye. It was a photograph of her and Draco. Hermione was crying while the blond kissed her forehead. For Hermione, it was a sweet moment. She then read the caption.

_This is a stolen picture. Ginny was the one who took it! I told her not to touch my Muggle camera. But she didn't listen. That redhead, she told me this was a sweet moment and I should forever store it in my memory. Yeah right… but actually, this is a sweet moment. _

Hermione made a small smile. Unconsciously, she brushed her finger across the picture. Something swelled in her heart.

She continued to look at the pictures. Some where stolen, some where funny pictures… Hermione laughed at times when she saw a picture of her and Draco having a small fight. It was a funny picture. But she had to admit that Draco Malfoy still managed to be handsome, even more, even though he was angry.

Soon, the pictures mostly consist of her and the blond. She froze at one picture. It was, of course, her and the blond. She was kissing his cheek while he was flashing a huge (a very, very huge) grin. Hermione swallowed. They seemed really happy… and the love was evident. She read the caption.

_This picture was taken when Draco and I were having our first date in Hogsmeade. As a gift, he gave me a beautiful ring. He said it was from an important person (I'm starting to get suspicious, though. He said that the teddy bear he gave me was from an important person. Now, the ring he gave me was from an important person, too? Hmmm…). It was the best day of my life! I do love him, so, so much. _

Hermione stared at the photograph. So all Merlin said was right. She was supposed to have a relationship with none other than Draco Malfoy. It was too much. It was a dream come true. Before, she thought that she was too good for him. Good Lord, she did thought of that. She was a Muggle-born (or a Mudblood, according to the Purebloods) and just a simple witch. And he… he was famous, he was a Malfoy, he was rich, he was a Pureblood, he was everything. And now, she was sitting on a chair in a Merlin-knows-what place together with the great Merlin himself and telling her that Draco Malfoy should be the love of her life. Hermione released a sigh. If this was a dream, she hoped that she wouldn't wake up anymore.

"Miss Granger, are you all right?" Merlin asked, carefully looking at the brunette witch in front of him.

The brunette slowly nodded. "Yes," she said, releasing another breath. "I'm fine."

Merlin smiled. "Miss Granger, if you think all of this a dream, then I assure it is not. Everything is true," he said, as if reading her thoughts.

Hermione nodded. She was overwhelmed with emotions. It was funny. She wanted to cry, to laugh, to hug Merlin to see if everything was true… The brunette sighed and then flickered her eyes up and down, up and down. She was trying her best not to cry. "Um… how will I go back?" she asked in a whisper and watched as Merlin stood up.

"Do you want to go back?" Merlin asked, startling Hermione with his question.

"What do you mean, Merlin?" the brunette asked. "I thought I could go back if I succeeded with my task."

"Yes, Miss Granger, you're right," the old wizard said. "What I mean to say, Miss Granger, is do _you_ really want to go back. Because I tell you, it will be different."

Hermione frowned, not quite understanding Merlin. Of course she knew it will be different.

"Miss Granger, once you fixed fate, Mr. Malfoy doesn't know about hating Muggles and Muggle-borns. Mr. Malfoy doesn't know about declaring war between you and your best friends. Because you fixed fate, Mr. Malfoy knows that he loves you and you love him in return. Harry Potter and Mr. Weasley also don't know that they are enemies with Mr. Malfoy. All of them know that they are best friends. And you, you do not know what happened in the past years. All you remember were memories when fate was messed up. Do you understand me now, Miss Granger?" Merlin said, his emerald eyes boring on the brunette.

Hermione slowly nodded. "Do you mean that if I go back there, I will still remember memories when fate was messed up and not the one that was fixed? If I go back there, they might think that I'm… deranged."

"Yes, quite right, Miss Granger," Merlin said.

The brunette then looked at the picture of her kissing Draco's cheek again. "But… but I want to go back, Merlin. I do," Hermione said, her eyes wide. "I do."

Merlin smiled. "The decision is still yours, Miss Granger. If you want to go back, it's all right. If you do not want to… I guess I would escort you to heaven." He watched when Hermione cringed. "But, there's still a way," he finished.

"What?"

"I'll obliviate your memory of your past 7 years in Hogwarts," he explained. "And then, I'll put your new memory… the memory you should have." Merlin sighed.

A single tear slipped down Hermione's eyes. "If that's the only way, Merlin, you can do it," she said, releasing a sigh. She then wiped the tear. Surprisingly, more tears started to pour down her face.

"Miss Granger…"

Hermione just laughed shakily. "I'm sorry, I'm just overwhelmed with feelings, Merlin," she said. "This… this is a dream come true!" The brunette wiped more tears.

Merlin then did the unexpected. He hugged the crying brunette. "Stop crying," he said, stroking her hair comfortingly. "Hush, Miss Granger. It's all right."

The brunette released more sobs. "I want to go back," she whispered. "I want to go back."

"There, there, Hermione," Merlin said. Hermione couldn't help but smile. It was the first time Merlin called her by her first name. "If you want to go back, you can. It's very easy."

Hermione laughed again. "Silly me," she said. "Crying over petty things."

"Oh, it isn't petty," he said. "Not at all."

The brunette just grinned.

"Now, I have to tell you this," Merlin said. "If you wake up, you'll find yourself in the Hospital Wing. You received a rather big bump on your head."

Hermione nodded. "Yeah, I remember hitting a rock before I passed out and found myself back here again."

"All right, Hermione, close your eyes," Merlin instructed. "I'll obliviate your memory now." The old wizard now pointed his wand at the brunette.

"Wait!" Hermione said.

"What is it?"

Hermione gave the old wizard a quick peck on the cheek. "Thank you, Merlin," she said, smiling at the old wizard. "You know, you remind me of my favorite grandfather."

Merlin just chuckled.

Hermione grinned again and closed her eyes. "All right, I'm ready," she announced.

"_Obliviate,_" Merlin whispered. And then, he had put her new memory.

The brunette then passed out.

"Goodbye, Hermione," Merlin whispered as the brunette slowly disappeared.

* * *

**A/N: And that's the end! I'm telling you, dear readers, two more chapters to go and then our beloved Time's Up! Is done already. Now, reviews please!!**

**With love,  
2booklover4**

**P.S.  
Okay, want a sneak peak for the next chapter? Fine, then. Remember the dream-memory part here in this story? The one where Hermione dreamed of how Draco asked her to be his girl? There be lots and lots more of that kind of thing next chapter. Just wait patiently. That's all. Again, reviews. **

**Oh, and, I'm really sorry for not yet updating Princess in Disguise. I don't want to promise anymore because I don't want to disappoint my readers. All I can promise is again, I will not abandon PiD. Doing that will be like not eating my favorite junkfood for the rest of my life. **

**I know, I'm kind of deranged today (maybe i'm still sick?) but again, I'll repeat, please review TU! and PiD! If you did, methinks thou art lovable! Tada! See you in the next chapter. :D**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: You know, the usual, so stop asking me if I'm JK Rowling because you very well know that I am not her! And I do not own the wonderful Harry Potter series, okay?**

**A/N: Okay, so I'm back :D I tell you, this is a very, very, very long chapter. Almost 22 pages in Microsoft Word and more than 13,000 words! Woah! **

**Okay, so I will explain this chapter briefly. This chapter contains some memories/events/happenings that really should have happened between Hermione and Draco from Year One to Year Four (the title is pretty self-explanatory). Since the title said it all, this is only Part I. The next part will be memories/events/happenings from of our favorite couple from Year Five to Year Seven. So, patiently wait for the continuation of this chapter, okay? For now, just read this. Enjoy and then review afterward! **

**

* * *

****What Really Should Have Happened: Part I**

**_  
Year One:_**

Eleven-year-old Draco Malfoy was absolutely irritated right now. His eyes were closed with the right side of his head resting against the cold window of the compartment. Also, a frustrated frown was now seen plastered on his pale, handsome face. The reason of his irritation? The two first year students (like him) who were seated across from him.

'_Oh, honestly, they're giggling like silly, little girls,' _he angrily thought as he fully opened both of his eyes and glared at Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. "Can both of you please shut up?!" the blond exclaimed. Crabbe and Goyle just stared at him, wide-eyed. It was as if they didn't understand a thing Draco had said.

The little Malfoy's eyes landed on the toad that was clutched between Crabbe's beefy hands. "Leave the toad alone. He didn't do anything to both of you. Give that thing a favor, will you? He was born as a plain, ol' toad. Allow him not to die on both of your stupid hands," he ordered. Crabbe and Goyle, being the obedient cronies they were to Draco (even if all three of them were still starting their very first year in Hogwarts), released the poor toad and he hopped around their compartment. Goyle opened the compartment door and freed the jumping toad. Watching this animal made Crabbe and Goyle snicker softly to themselves again, irritating the already irritated Draco more.

"I cannot believe that I'm stuck with these two buffoons here," Draco murmured as he buried his head in both of his hands. He was tired. He truly was because just yesterday, his godfather, Severus Snape, went with him to the Ministry of Magic for him to sign all the legal documents so that he could claim all the Malfoy possessions his deceased father and mother left him. Yes, indeed, both of his parents were dead.

Draco's father, the infamous Lucius Malfoy, was revealed to be one of Voldemort's Death Eaters. And how did the MoM discover this? Of course, his one and only son just confessed to the Minister, Cornelius Fudge, a few months ago that his father was one of them. Lucius Malfoy received the Dementor's Kiss a week after the discovery of where his true loyalty really was.

Narcissa Malfoy, in the other hand, grieved for the death of her beloved husband to the point that she became deranged. She was sent to St. Mungo's since the Healers declared that it would be dangerous, most especially to Draco, if Narcissa continued to live in the Malfoy Manor. A month after her confinement, she died, still crazy.

Now, that left Draco all alone. He became an orphan. Since this little boy was still too young to live on his own, his godfather took the whole responsibility to be his legal guardian, which Draco felt very thankful for since he was very close to his Uncle Severus.

His musings were immediately cut when the door of their compartment opened.

"Excuse me, but has anyone of you seen a toad?" a little female voice asked the three of them inside.

Draco looked at the female intruder, planning to glare at her until she cowered back and run away. _'Oh, seriously,' _he thought. _'Why does everybody think of a bloody, stupid toad?' _Once Draco's eyes landed on the little girl, his jaw instantly dropped. His eyes widened as he gazed at the owner of the little voice. "What the…"

"I will repeat my question," she said, eyes furrowing because of confusion. "Has anyone of you seen a toad? A boy named Neville lost it, you know. Let's see… umm… the name of the toad is… Trevor. Yes, Trevor. That's right."

Crabbe and Goyle just ogled at this little girl with some sense of authority and bossiness in her aura. Draco, too, just stared at her as he examined her from head to toe. _'Bushy brown hair… buck-teethed… and asking if we saw any toad…' _The little blond gasped, his mouth kept on opening and closing.

"Are you… are you all right?" she asked, now looking at Draco only with suspicion present in her eyes. "Is my question hard to answer?"

"N-n-no! No!" he cried quite loudly, surprising the little girl. Draco stood up and took a small step forward.

She smiled in uncertainty. "Okay…" she said. "But honestly, for me, you do not look well at all. You're kind of… pale."

"I-I'm fine," he stuttered softly, eyes still trained on the little girl. Yes, he must be right. She might be the little girl Hermione made him promise to befriend. But the one that shocked him the most… _'Hermione didn't tell me that the little girl will bloody look so much like her!' _he exclaimed in his mind. "As for your question, we-well, we did see a toad."

The little girl that greatly resembled his best friend Hermione brightened up. "Oh, thank Merlin!" she exclaimed. "I've been helping Neville for a quite a few minutes now but the people I've been asking didn't see a toad at all." She looked around. "Umm… so, where is Trevor?"

"Who?" Draco asked, still surprised.

"Trevor. The Toad. Neville's toad," she repeated, now frowning slightly.

"Oh, umm… they" – he pointed at Crabbe and Goyle which both goofily smiled at the little girl – "released him. Now, I have no idea where it went."

The little girl groaned. "Oh my… I can't believe I still have to keep looking!" she exclaimed.

"Err… do you want me to help you?" the blond offered softly… a little shyly.

The little girl smiled. "Sure. Thanks," she said.

"You're welcome," Draco answered back with a smile. He couldn't help but notice the blush that crept on both of the little girl's cheek which made Draco smirk a little.

"By the way" – she stretched her right hand – "the name is Granger. Hermione Granger."

Draco's jaw immediately dropped. _'Hermione. Hermione. Hermione… argh!' _the little Malfoy exclaimed in his mind. _'Hermione didn't also tell me that the girl I will meet in my first train ride will be also named as Hermione!' _

The little girl's smile faltered as she stared at her still lifted hand. "Aren't you going to shake it? I might as well put it down already," she said, a frown now adorning her cute face.

Draco immediately gripped her right hand (_'Soft, smooth, and warm'_) and eagerly shook it. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I just… I just remembered someone," he told her truthfully.

"Oh, you know someone with the name 'Hermione', too?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"That's cool," she said, now smiling widely again. She retrieved her hand (which Draco stared at quite disappointedly) and now directed her smile towards the blond. "I still don't know your name."

"Oh, uh, Draco Malfoy," the little blond said.

"Well then, Draco Malfoy, can you please help me look for Neville's toad?" Hermione Granger asked, her smile still plastered on her face.

Draco returned her smile. "That's fine."

"Okay, then. Come on." And with that, Hermione Granger disappeared from their compartment door.

The little blond looked at his other companions. "Do not follow me, anymore. Is that clear?" he asked.

Crabbe and Goyle just stared at him.

"Oh for the love of Pete!" Draco exclaimed and ran to catch up with the new person he met – Hermione Granger. "Hermione Granger…" he murmured followed by a small smile. Even though they still hadn't arrived Hogwarts, his first train ride was already a memorable one.

**

* * *

**Draco was walking along the dark corridors in Hogwarts at the middle of the night. A huge frown was found on his face as he just blindly took one step at a time. His new housemates were weird, in his opinion. Yes, they welcomed him and all when the Sorting Hat immediately announced that he now belonged to Slytherin but the way they welcomed him almost freaked Draco out. Don't get him wrong. He liked his new House but… his housemates… Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy Parkinson were his housemates, too!

The little blond groaned softly as he ignored the staring portraits he passed by. Hogwarts at night, he discovered, was very creepy. Draco made a mental note to tag along Crabbe or Goyle or both if he wanted to roam around Hogwarts. He honestly didn't care if a teacher now caught him and gave him his very first detention in his whole history in Hogwarts. He just… wanted to walk… and to think. Mostly about a certain bushy, brown-haired, buck-teethed, little girl he just met in the Hogwarts Express and a beautiful teenager he met in the past.

Draco's eyebrows knitted together as he pictured this little girl inside his head. Just a while ago, Hermione Granger was sorted in Gryffindor, making Draco's heart sink in actuality. Since Hermione past (he decided to call the Hermione he met in 1990 that so that there wouldn't be any confusion) made him promise to befriend _that _girl, Draco had to do it in order to do anything for his very first crush. But, how would he do that when he was in Slytherin and she was sorted in Gryffindor?

Before his thoughts were continued, a rather large sigh was heard by the little blond. Draco whipped around together with his already drawn wand. "Who's there?" he called. Draco's heartbeat quickened as he looked around wildly. '_Lumos_!' he exclaimed and waved his lit wand around frantically until he spotted someone. Draco walked closely, his wand still ready until he was a few inches in front of the somehow intruder of his. The little blond gasped as he recognized the intruder – Hermione Granger.

"Draco?" she asked, squinting her eyes to see.

The little blond sighed and smiled. The little Gryffindor was seated on one of the steps in the stairs in Hogwarts (_'Honestly, they're too many for my own liking,' _Draco thought). "Hey," he whispered, approaching her. He sat down beside her. "What are you doing here?"

Hermione frowned and looked at her feet. "To be alone," she whispered sadly. Draco caught the tone of her voice that was why he sharply looked at her.

"Was your first day in school a very bad one?" Draco asked softly, his smile slowly turning into a frown. To his utter shock, the little brunette beside him started to sniff softly. Draco's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "Are you… are you crying, Hermione?"

Beside him, Hermione started to wipe her tears that stubbornly fell from her eyes. "I'm sorry," she softly squeaked.

"Uh… err… um… I… you… I mean…" Draco spluttered who was feeling very nervous since he was seated beside a crying little girl whom he had just met a while ago. "Did I… did I do something wrong?"

She released a small laugh and shook her head. "No, no, you didn't do anything wrong," she reassured him, still wiping her wet face. "It's just that… it's just that" – she started to cry again – "I miss Mommy and Daddy already!" she wailed and then covered her face with her hands. "Oh, no one likes me at all in my new House!"

"That's… that's not true," Draco answered lamely.

"Yes, it's true!" she exclaimed, lifting her wet face. She looked straight at Draco (he noticed that her bottom lip was _adorably _trembling) and said, "After dinner, one first year girl said straight to my face that I'm a bossy, buck-teethed, Muggle-born little girl and she doesn't want me to be her friend."

"That... hurts," he commented half-heartedly as he discovered another similarity of Hermione and Hermione past – both of them were Muggle-borns.

Hermione sobbed louder. "Yes, it is!" she wailed softly. "Nobody likes me here. I want to go home now."

"I said, that's not true," he repeated again.

"All right, fine," the brunette said, slightly glaring at the Slytherin. "If that's not true, then who likes me?"

"I do," he whispered. "I like you."

Hermione blinked several times. "What?" she asked, her glossy eyes wide because of surprise.

"I like you… to be my friend," Draco repeated in a whisper again.

"You swear?" she asked, a smile slowly growing on her lips.

"I do," he swore.

"You really, really, swear?" she asked.

Draco sighed. "Yes."

"Even if you're a Slytherin and I'm a Gryffindor?" she asked.

"Yes," Draco said, rolling his eyes. "I don't really care what House you belong."

"Even though your Slytherin housemates might condemn you for the rest of your life because you're befriending a Gryffindor?"

The blond rolled his eyes. "I told you I don't really care what House you belong."

"You really, really, really, really, really swear?" she asked.

"For the love of…!"

Hermione giggled. "That's nice," she answered. "I thought you do not want me to be your friend, too. Though," she shyly looked at the floor, "I want you to be my friend, you know."

Draco blushed slightly. "Let's go back to our own Common Rooms now," he said quite quickly. "A teacher might see us and give us detention."

The little Gryffindor nodded and stood up. "Okay," she said. "Goodnight, Draco."

"Goodnight, Hermione," he answered. Then, the both of them walked in separate ways.

**

* * *

**"It's your bloody fault, Weasley!" Draco shouted in anger as he glared disgustingly at his redhead classmate. He then averted his glare from Ronald Weasley to the one and only Harry Potter. "And you didn't do anything at all, Potter! I thought you were the _one _who defeated You-Know-Who?!"

Ron rolled his eyes. "Oh, don't be so melodramatic, Malfoy!" the redhead retorted back, gasping for air. They had been running for minutes already towards one of the girls' bathroom. And their sole reason was to save Hermione Granger.

Under his breath, Draco grumbled, 'Stupid gits' or 'Hope they go to hell'.

"All right, all right, let's not fight anymore," Harry gasped. Apparently, he was starting to get out of breath, too. "We have to concentrate on more important matters." Harry slowly looked from Ron to the still fuming blond. "Save Hermione Granger."

Just then, a loud shout was heard in the rather almost empty halls. The three boys' eyes widened in recognition.

"Hermione…" Draco whispered and then started to run fast.

"DRACO MALFOY, COME BACK HERE!" Harry screamed as he watched one of his classmates do something harsh just to save a Gryffindor. And he was a Slytherin! "All right, Ron. Let's follow him."

Once Draco arrived at the supposedly-attacked-by-a-troll girls' bathroom, all he did was drop his jaw and widened his eyes. He blinked rapidly suddenly as he couldn't believe at what was happening. There, under one of the sinks, was a frightened, crying Hermione as she wailed for help because a troll was attacking her. Draco snapped out of his shock as the brunette released another deafening shriek when the troll smashed the sink where she was hiding. Hermione immediately ran inside one of the cubicles but then, the troll was absorbed in attacking the brunette he kept on following her.

"Hermione, look out!" the blond warned.

The crying Gryffindor brunette looked around and a look of pure relief crossed on her tear-stained face once her eyes landed on the Slytherin. "Draco!" she exclaimed, and then screamed once the troll smashed her hiding place again.

And then, Harry and Ron arrived. Their reactions were the same as Draco's earlier reaction once they saw the mess the troll had made in the girls' bathroom. Both of them instantly attacked the troll when they saw that Draco was trying to fight it. A look of guilt also crossed Ron's face when he saw the frightened look on Hermione's face.

"Yaaaahhhh!" Harry exclaimed when he jumped on the troll's back and poked one of the troll's nostrils with his wand. The troll grunted and swayed around and around, bringing Harry with him. "Do something!" he screamed to Ron and Draco.

"What?!" both of them screamed in unison.

"Anything!" Harry screamed. "Woah! Woah! Woah! Stop moving, stupid, ugly, disgusting, wretched troll! Do something now!"

Out of desperation and panic, Draco did the first thing that came into his mind – He kicked the troll where it had hurt. Big, fat tears of pain rolled down the troll as he clutched the tender spot and started to howl in pain. "Ronald Weasley, do something now!" Draco screamed.

Ron started to panic. But then, when he spotted the troll's club, an idea crossed his mind. Brandishing his wand, the redhead cleared his throat and pointed it towards the weapon. "_Wingardium Leviosa_!" he shouted. The club floated above the troll's head. Ron flicked his wand and the club fell on top of the troll's head, knocking him out of his consciousness. The troll fell with Harry on his back.

The redhead stared, dumbfounded. "I did it," he whispered.

Everything was silent at first except the heavy breathing of the three occupants of the bathroom and the brunette's soft sobbing. Harry moved and retrieved his wand from the troll's nostril with a disgusted look on his face as he looked at the disgustingly-looking some-kind-of a booger wrapped around his precious wand.

Draco scrambled towards Hermione and helped her up. The brunette hugged him tight and started to cry again. The blond, surprised, turned red from head to toe. "Oh, that was so… so terrifying!" she wailed as her grip around the Slytherin tightened.

"There, there, it's over," he consoled.

Suddenly, Professor McGonagall arrived together with Professor Snape and Professor Quirell. "What happened here?!" the surprised Head of the Gryffindor House demanded. Her eyes landed on the guilty looks of Harry and Ron and instantly, her eyes narrowed slightly. "Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, did you do this?"

The two Gryffindors only looked at the floor.

"Umm… actually, Professor, it was my fault," Hermione whispered as she released Draco. "I was… I was not being careful, Professor McGonagall, I'm sorry."

The Transfiguration teacher looked surprised. "Well then, Miss Granger, five points from Gryffindor for doing something rash that almost put you into danger," she said. Her eyes then landed on Harry and Ron. "And five points _each_… to Gryffindor for" – she looked at the unconscious troll – "defeating this troll."

"And five points to Slytherin for helping them," Professor Snape added as he stared at the smirking Draco Malfoy.

"Yes, yes, now off you four go," Professor McGonagall said. "Go back to your dormitories and we'll do something about this… about this mess."

The four obeyed and scrambled out of the wrecked girls' bathroom.

And that night, a special, strong friendship between the four particular students formed.

**

* * *

**"RON!" Hermione shrieked as the knight Ron was riding on was smashed by the opponent's queen. She quickly ran towards her fallen best friend and cradled his injured arm. Draco also ran towards them. At the corner of his eyes, he saw that Harry was about to approach them but the Slytherin stopped.

"No, Harry!" Draco exclaimed as he looked at the frantic Gryffindor. "You go on and fight You-Know-Who!"

"But I… I can't leave the three of you," Harry said with his eyes wide. "Ron's injured… Hermione and you are… I can't leave all of you here."

Hermione looked at Harry with tears sliding down her eyes. "Draco's right, Harry," she said. "Protect the Sorcerer's Stone from You-Know-Who. You should continue without us."

"Yeah, Harry," Ron agreed, face scrunched in pain. "It's just a… a scratch."

"Are you sure?" Harry asked.

The three of them nodded. "You can do it, Harry," Hermione said. "You're strong. I know you can do it."

A determined look was now seen on Harry's face. "All right, then," he said. "I won't disappoint all of you." And then, Harry continued inside the wooden door to meet Lord Voldemort.

Hermione sniffed as she helped Ron.

"Now, stop crying, you silly, little girl," Draco grumbled as he stood up. "I will call for help. Stay here and take care of Ron."

The brunette glared at him. "I'm not worrying for Ron!" she protested.

"Hey!" Ron exclaimed. It seemed like he was affected by what Hermione had said.

Hermione looked at Ron sheepishly. "I mean… yes, I do worry for Ron but Harry…" – she started to cry again – "Harry has to fight… has to fight… Vold-Vol-Volde-Voldemo-Voldemort." All three of them flinched by the name.

Draco sighed. "You know that he's the only one who can defeat You-Know-Who," the Slytherin said to his best friend.

"I know that," she whispered.

The Slytherin then patted Hermione's head and made a small smile. "Why is it that every time I'm with you, you're crying?" he asked.

Hermione softly giggled.

Draco grinned. "Now, stay with Ron and I'll call for help." Draco started to run back but the brunette stopped him.

"Draco!" she called out.

Draco looked at Hermione. "Yeah?"

"Be safe," she whispered.

The blond smiled again. "Yes… yes I will."

**

* * *

_Year Two:_**

"What's going on here?" Hermione asked as she, alongside with Ron, came running down the Gryffindor stand to approach the Gryffindor Quidditch team (which included their best friend, Harry Potter). The brunette also caught sight of her other best friend, Draco Malfoy, who apparently was part of the Slytherin Quidditch team.

"We were supposed to play here in the Quidditch Pitch, Hermione," Harry said, seething. "But they" – he pointed one, lone finger towards the smirking Slytherins (except Draco, of course) "told us that Professor Snape gave them permission to use this stupid Pitch."

Hermione looked at Draco for confirmation. All the little Slytherin blond could do was shrug and mouth, "I'm sorry."

"I'm telling you, Pucey, us Gryffindors were the _first _ones who were given permission by Professor McGonagall," Oliver Wood, Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, told the Adrian Pucey, Slytherin Quidditch Captain.

"Yeah, fine," Pucey sneered. "But sorry, Wood, your time is up. It's our turn."

Oliver narrowed his eyes and clenched his hands into fists. "It. Is. Our. Turn," he said, through gritted teeth.

"Wrong!" the Captain of the Slytherins bellowed with a growing smirk on his face.

"Hey! You heard him!" Ron exclaimed, bravely stepping forward. "It's our turn, you bloody Slytherin! Give everyone a favor and get lost! They want to play."

"Stupid Weasley," Pucey mattered, raising one, eyebrow. "You're not part of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, anyway. Wood did everyone a _favor _because he didn't recruit you."

Ron turned into a terrible shade of red. He pulled out his newly fixed wand (though, a Spell-O-Tape was wrapped around the crack) and pointed it at Pucey. Hermione held Ron's wand hand and forced it to point downwards so that he wouldn't hurt anyone.

"Ron, he's not worth it," Hermione whispered. "Something might happen to your spell if you did something to your wand." The brunette looked at the watching Draco and glared. "Do something," she mouthed.

"What?" Draco mouthed back nervously.

"Anything, stupid!" the brunette mouthed back. Draco just shrugged, making Hermione frustrated.

"Are we done _conversing _now?" Pucey asked. "Because our team really wants to play, you know."

Hermione the directed her glare towards the Captain of the Slytherins. "Adrian Pucey, you had heard my housemates. They were the first ones who were granted permission by Professor McGonagall. Accept that simple fact and just play some other time."

"No one asked you to talk, you filthy, little Mudblood!" Pucey exclaimed. Everyone, except Harry, gasped in surprise. Hermione looked at Pucey and blinked several times. After she got over her shock, a tear slid down her right eye which she didn't bother to brush away. Adrian Pucey seemed satisfied with what he had done.

"You'll pay for that, Pucey!" Ron exclaimed, pointing his wand towards the Slytherin Quidditch Captain again. "Eat slugs!" But then, his spell backfired and he flew backwards. The Gryffindor Quidditch team ran towards Ron. Hermione knelt down beside him and shook him slightly.

"Are you all right, Ron? Say something!" Hermione cried, tears still freely flowing down her face.

"I…" Ron didn't have the chance to answer Hermione since he started to vomit big, fat slugs. Everyone in the Pitch watched in disgust and pity for the Gryffindor.

"Hey! That's enough!" Draco bellowed as he ran towards his best friends, too.

"Malfoy, get back here!" Pucey ordered. "I'm the Captain of the squad and I'm ordering you as the leader to get back here!"

"No! You heard them, Pucey. They were the first one who were granted permission to use the Quidditch Pitch," Draco said. "I think it will be better if we just find a new slot tomorrow or later this afternoon."

Adrian Pucey's eyes narrowed into thin slits. "Are you siding with them, Malfoy?" he asked.

Draco lifted his chin up and met his Captain's glare. "Yeah. So what?" he asked bravely.

"Then, you're out of this team, Draco Malfoy," he said. "I'll find someone who is _more _suitable in being the Slytherin Quidditch team's Seeker."

The little blond released a small laugh. "You can't ban me out of this team, Pucey," he confidently told the older Slytherin. "I was recommended here by Professor Snape. The last decision will always be his."

Pucey's glare darkened while Draco's trademark smile grew.

Adrian looked at his other teammates. "Come on, team, let's go," he ordered. "We might catch their 'bad luck' virus." And with that, the Slytherin Quidditch team, except Draco, walked out of the Quidditch Pitch.

"Wait, Pucey!" Draco called out, stopping the Slytherin Captain.

"What now, Malfoy?" he asked angrily.

Draco pointed his wand and flicked it. And then, the spell had hit Pucey squarely on his chest. The Slytherin Captain turned into a brilliant shade of purple with some mixture of green and then, like Ron, he started to vomit slugs. The Gryffindors gasped in surprise and stared at Draco, wide-eyed and in awe. Draco directed his smile towards the still vomiting Ron. "I believe that was what you want to happen, Weasley," the blond said. "You owe me something."

Ron laughed but then started to cough up slugs again.

The blond's eyes then locked with Hermione's wide, glossy ones and his smile instantly faltered. "Harry," he said, still looking at the crying brunette. "Bring Ron to Hagrid. He can help him."

"All right," he said and then helped Ron up.

Oliver Wood placed a hand on Draco's shoulder. "Thanks, Draco Malfoy," he said. "You're not bad at all."

Draco smirked. "What? You think I'll be bad, too, like the other Slytherins?" he asked.

The Gryffindor Captain smiled at him sheepishly for confirmation. And then, he looked at his team and ordered, "All right, everyone, mount your brooms and we're going to practice now!" And with that, only Hermione and Draco were left. The Slytherin blond approached his best friend and crouched down in front of her.

"Hermione, are you all right?" he asked.

Hermione sniffed and shook her head. Draco sighed and pulled her up. Together, they went inside the Hogwarts castle. As they were walking along the corridors, Hermione's head was bowed, her eyes trained on the cold floor but Draco could tell that she was still crying.

The blond sighed. He had done it. He had just official made known to his housemates that he was best friends with Gryffindors, but not just some Gryffindors but Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger themselves. Don't get him wrong. It was not that he was ashamed of the fact that he was close friends with them. It was just that… he knew, he knew deep inside the first time he saw Hermione Granger that his housemates would look at him scornfully for fraternizing with the _enemy_. But now, he didn't seem to care. All he cared about now was the fact that one of his best friends was crying because of what his housemate had told her.

"He called me 'Mudblood'," Hermione whispered, breaking the silence. She said this followed by a sniff.

"I think I heard that, Hermione," the blond whispered back.

Hermione raised her head and looked at Draco through her tear-stained face. "Mudblood means 'dirty blood', doesn't it?" the Gryffindor asked. When Draco didn't answer, she continued. "It's a really foul name for a Muggle-born, right? Someone with non-magical parents." Hermione looked at the ground again. "Someone… like me."

Draco gulped nervously. "Yes… I mean, no!" he exclaimed. "Look, Hermione, ignore Pucey. He's like that, especially to Gryffindors. Trust me. I lived with him for almost two years already. He just has the… ability to hit a nerve." Hermione continued to cry which made Draco sigh. "Hermione," he said, stepping in front of the brunette. "You're no Mudblood, okay? Some of my kind really tends to be… harsh to people who aren't like us… like Purebloods." The blond looked around and was thankful that they were near the Slytherin dungeons. "Wait for me, here." Draco ran away from Hermione and went inside his Common Room.

The Gryffindor brunette waited for him, though, her tears still continued to fall. And then, Draco came back. Hermione looked up and watched as he walked towards her, a big smile plastered on his face.

"Adrian Pucey is a big jerk, Hermione," Draco said, almost inaudibly. "But remember this. He cannot think of a spell you can't do. You're ten times better than him in many, many ways. So, just… forget that guy."

Hermione made a small smile.

Then, the blond showed her something… something that made her small smile bigger. "Oh, Draco, that's adorable!" she exclaimed as Draco passed her a teddy bear. Hermione hugged it tighter to herself. "What's his name?"

"Mr. Beady," the blond said sheepishly. "Let's just say that a… very important person gave that for me as a birthday present."

"Oh," Hermione said, her smile wavering. "And, you're giving it to me?"

Draco scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah," he said. "Don't you like him?"

"I do! I promise I do!" she said as she placed a kiss on top of Mr. Beady's head. "But… it seems like he's important to you, Draco. I won't accept it." She gave Mr. Beady back to Draco but he didn't accept it.

"Don't be silly, Hermione. He's yours," Draco said. "Yes, he's important to me but right now, you need him more than I do."

Hermione smiled and kissed Mr. Beady's head again. "Thank you," she said, grinning widely. The blond just grinned back. "Draco…" she said. "Why do you always make me feel better?"

Draco's smile disappeared. "I do?" he asked while his brow furrowed together.

"Yeah… I mean," Hermione looked at her feet. "You make me smile when I'm crying. Why is that?" The brunette's face was contorted into pure question now.

"I… I really don't know," the blond truthfully said while fidgeting slightly.

Hermione sighed. "I hope we'll know the answer someday," she said. And then, Hermione released a huge gasp. "Oh, that's beautiful!" she said as she looked around Draco's neck.

"What?" he asked. And then, he saw his necklace, visible to someone else's eyes. It seemed like Hermione caught sight of it already. "Oh, this?" he said, fingering the ring. "It was given to me by someone very important, too."

"A girl?" the brunette asked, eyes now trained on Draco's face. "The ring sure seemed kind of… girly."

Draco's face turned into red. "Ye… yeah," he answered. "It's Her… her gift for my tenth birthday… the best birthday I ever had."

Hermione looked at the ring longingly. "Can I… can I have it?" she asked slowly in a whisper.

"No!" Draco exclaimed, clutching the ring around his right hand. "If I gave this to you, then, it'll… mean something." The last part was said by Draco in a whisper.

"What?" she asked.

Draco gulped. "Umm… can we… can we visit Ron now?" he asked, changing the topic. He prayed to Merlin that Hermione will remember about their best friend's present predicament. Thankfully, she did.

"Oh my! Ron!" she said. "Come on, then, Draco. Let's go to Hagrid's Hut." Hermione hugged Mr. Beady tighter to herself and then started to run outside the Hogwarts Castle. Draco released a huge sigh of relief and followed her.

**

* * *

**Harry, Ron, and Draco solemnly and quietly went inside the infirmary as their eyes were trained on Hermione. She was petrified. They were told by Professor Dumbledore that they had seen Hermione petrified by a basilisk together with Penelope Clearwater, a Ravenclaw prefect.

The three boys perched themselves on Hermione's bed, their eyes still not leaving their petrified best friend.

"This… this is horrible," Ron said in a whisper as he gulped nervously and touched Hermione's hardened hand. "This is bloody horrible."

Harry looked around and still saw everyone who was petrified in the Hospital Wing. There was Colin Creevey, though, Harry couldn't see his camera anymore. There was Justin Finch-Fletchely and Nearly-Headless Nick who were both petrified at the same time and same place. There was Mrs. Norris with a sobbing Filch on her side. There was Penelope Clearwater and of course, there was Hermione. Harry counted inside his head how many they were. All in all, six were already petrified.

"Hey, what's this," Draco suddenly said, breaking their silence. He was holding Hermione's right hand and was surprised when a paper was clutched inside it. The Slytherin forced the paper out of the brunette's hand. Finally, he removed it and gave it to Harry.

He opened the piece of paper and all he saw was Hermione's handwriting on it. "Pipes," he whispered. "That's what it says."

"Pipes?" Ron asked. "Why in Merlin's beard will Hermione write 'pipes' in a piece of paper?"

"Maybe, it means something," Draco offered. He snatched the paper away from Harry and stared at it. "Pipes… pipes… pipes…" He turned the paper around and was surprised that a word was also scribbled at the back of the torn paper. "Basilisk…" he whispered and then gasped.

"Basilisk?" Harry and Ron asked in unison.

"A basilisk is a giant serpent. It's also known as the King of Serpents," Draco told his best friends. "A basilisk's gaze is very deadly. You'll instantly die if you look directly at his eyes."

"Are you telling me that…"

"Yes, Harry, I think a basilisk did all of these," Draco said, gesturing towards the occupants of the infirmary. "Hermione already discovered it but was unfortunate to be petrified by a basilisk."

"Petrified?" Ron asked. "How come they were only petrified?"

"Because, Ron, they didn't look directly towards its eyes," Harry explained to Ron. "Colin saw it through his camera, so, he didn't really see it directly. Justin might have seen it through Nearly-Headless Nick. Even though Nick's case was worse than the others since he might've seen the basilisk directly, he can't die. He's already dead, anyway. Hermione… was holding this mirror!" Harry exclaimed as he held the hand where Hermione was clutching a mirror. "Penelope might be looking through it, too."

"What about Mrs. Norris?" Ron whispered, looking at Filch at the corner of his eyes.

"Remember, we saw water there, Ron," Draco continued. "Mrs. Norris might have seen the basilisk's reflection through the water."

Ron scratched the back of his neck. "Okay… so, why did Hermione write the word 'Pipes' on that paper, too?" he asked.

"Maybe…" Draco said.

"The basilisk is hiding in the pipes!" Harry exclaimed. "I'm a Parselmouth, remember? I can understand the language of snakes and a basilisk is one." The Gryffindor sighed in relief. "I understand now why I hear voices in the walls because the basilisk was communicating with me. Remember that there are pipes in the walls, Ron."

"Oh," Ron said in realization. "Then… let's find a way to go inside the pipes!"

"Yes, that's right, come on," Harry scrambled up with Ron trailing behind him. Harry stopped and looked back. Draco was still sitting on Hermione's bed. "Aren't you coming, Draco?"

The blond looked at him and shook his head. "I'll stay with Hermione," he said. "Maybe, I can also help Madam Pomfrey to brew the antidote for basilisk petrification."

"Okay, just wish us luck," Harry said.

"Take care of Hermione!" Ron said as he waved goodbye.

Once they were gone, Draco looked back at Hermione with a frown. "That's what you get for being too bloody intelligent, Granger," he told the brunette and touched her hand again. "You should have at least asked for our company so that we can warn you if we saw the basilisk. Stupid Gryffindor bravery."

After a moment of pause, Draco then laid his head just beside Hermione's. "Wake up, Hermione," he whispered… pleaded. "Yes, Harry and Ron are there to accompany me but I know that they'll be busy killing that basilisk and saving Ron's little sister. And besides, it will still be different if you're not there."

Draco sighed and straightened up. He retrieved Mr. Beady from his robe and showed it to the brunette. "See, I brought Mr. Beady. He'll keep you company while I help Madam Pomfrey," Draco said and laid the teddy bear beside the brunette. The blond then stood up. "Be well soon, Hermione. I'm already missing you," he whispered and bent down to kiss her forehead.

The Slytherin then talked to Madam Pomfrey and together, both of them brewed the antidote for basilisk petrification.

Harry and Ron successfully defeated the basilisk and saved Ginny Weasley. All of those who were petrified were successfully revived. In the end, the Chamber of Secrets was closed again; the heir of Slytherin, who was really the soul and kind of memory of Tom Marvolo Riddle or Lord Voldemort disappeared, and everyone was safe again.

**

* * *

_Year Three:_**

"DRACO MALFOY!" Hermione shrieked as she stomped inside the Gryffindor Common Room. No one was there except her lounging best friend, Draco Malfoy. Even though he was a Slytherin, he was already granted access in the Gryffindor Common Room by the Fat Lady because she already trusted the blond ever since she discovered that he was a best friend of the great Harry Potter.

Now, as Draco looked up from his book and watched Hermione, he rolled his eyes and went back into reading. Harry and Ron had left him and went to the library (which greatly surprised Draco, mind you) for research. "What's your problem, Granger?" he asked her, his eyes still not leaving his book. Hermione ripped the book away from Draco's grip. The blond scowled and glared at the fuming brunette. "Hermione, you're disturbing me, do you know that?!" he asked her as he matched her glare.

"Where is Crookshanks?!" she asked in exclamation.

"Don't you dare accuse me," Draco said, his glare darkening. "I didn't do anything to your _precious _cat, Granger. I followed your _order_. I left him alone."

Hermione released an angry noise. "We both know that you bloody hate my cat, Draco! Where is he?! Tell me where he is!" she shrieked.

"I told you I didn't do anything to your ugly cat, Granger!" Draco shouted back.

"Ugly? UGLY?! Did you just call my cat ugly?!" she screamed and crouched down so she would be eye-to-eye with the Slytherin.

"So what if I did?!" Draco shouted back, crossing his arms across his chest.

The brunette seethed. "My. Cat. Is. Not. Ugly," she said through gritted teeth. "Now, show me where you locked Crookshanks then everything will be all right, Draco."

Draco released a long sigh. "How many times do I have to tell you that I didn't lock Crookshanks anymore?" he asked her. "Ask Ron. He hates your bloody cat, too. Now that I think about it, who doesn't hate your bloody cat?" he asked her.

Hermione clutched Draco's front shirt and pulled him towards her suddenly. The blond blinked rapidly as he stared at the brunette, shocked.

"Show me Crookshanks," she said in a low whisper as she allowed Draco to stand up. Hermione pulled him down so that he would be in the same height as she was.

"I didn't hide him," Draco whispered back, his eyes trained on her red, parted lips.

"WHERE IS HE?!" the brunette screamed.

"Granger," the blond said, still in a whisper as he painfully averted his eyes away from those two tempting things. Now, his eyes were trained on Hermione's eyes. "If you don't shut up, I'm going to do something that you won't like."

"I DO NOT CARE! WHERE IS MY…!" Hermione didn't have the chance to finish her sentence because, quite suddenly, Draco crashed his lips against hers. As soon as it happened, Draco pulled away, though, his right hand was still placed at the back of her neck.

Draco stared at Hermione's wide eyes. "See…" he whispered and watched as Hermione blinked three times, "I told you that if you don't shut up, I'm going to do something you won't like." Before the brunette could do anything like react or something, Draco gently pressed his lips against hers.

This time, though, much to Hermione's greater surprise, Draco tilted his head and started to move his lips against hers. His hand at the back of her neck traveled down to her waist and pulled her closer, earning a soft whimper from the brunette. For her, the kiss he was giving her right now didn't have the purpose of shutting her up.

But then, the brunette found herself slowly closing her eyes and giving in to the kiss. How couldn't she when his lips tasted like sweet chocolate? How couldn't she when he bloody kissed her so well? How couldn't she when he was making her oh so comfortable? Hermione's hands curled themselves on the front part of Draco's shirt. How couldn't she stop herself from kissing him back when he made her feel something? Electricity. _Sparks_.

Hermione released a huge gasp as she pushed him away from her. Hard. Draco looked at her with a dazed expression on his face, blinking rapidly as he stared at the red brunette.

"I…" he started.

"No. Don't!" Hermione shrieked, covering her mouth with her right hand.

Suddenly, a very disgruntled Ron followed by Harry (who was shaking his head) entered the Gryffindor Common Room. Upon seeing Hermione, the redhead groaned loudly. "Hermione! Can you please stop your bloody cat from chasing Scabbers? Your _precious _Crookshanks is chasing him in the Great Hall again. Can you please stop that bloody cat of yours before I do something… something unpleasant to him?" he asked, eyes furrowing because of frustration.

Hermione turned redder upon knowing that she accused the wrong person.

"Hermione…" Draco said, encircling his right hand around her wrist.

The brunette, feeling the _sparks _again, jumped a little and without thinking, punched Draco. She realized it too late that she had exerted way too much force with that single punch because she had heard the painful impact of her fist with his jaw.

At the corner of her eyes, she saw the dropping of Ron's and Harry's jaw at the same time. Hermione would have laughed when she had seen this but now, she really wasn't in the mood to do that. The brunette's jaw dropped, too. Draco looked at her in bewilderment.

"I…" the brunette said, confusion and distress evident in her voice. She didn't know what to do now. So, she only did one thing – she ran out of the Gryffindor Common Room.

At first, the three of them were silent. Until, Harry broke it.

"Woah," he said and watched as Draco cradled his smarting jaw. "That was… that was…"

"Shut up, Potter," the blond said, glaring at the bespectacled boy (Even talking was painful for Draco!). "Don't you dare continue your sentence!"

"Why the bloody, burning hell did Hermione do that to you, Draco?" Ron asked, immediately forgetting about the present predicament of his beloved rat.

The blond closed his eyes and sighed in frustration. "Let's just say that she wrongly accused me of hurting her beloved cat," the blond murmured softly.

"But a punch?" Harry said, still in awe. "Why did she do that?"

Draco shook his head. "Please, leave me… ouch… alone," he said and walked out of the Gryffindor Common Room. "I'm going to the infirmary. I think a bone broke."

Ron looked at Harry. "What's their problem?" he asked.

"Don't ask me, Ronald," Harry answered the redhead. "I don't think like they do."

The redhead shrugged. "Wanna eat? I'm starving," he said.

Harry sighed and rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Ron."

**

* * *

**Hermione sighed as she looked at her watch again. She was now seen seated on an empty bench, waiting for her mother to fetch her. _'Mommy's late,' _she thought with a frown and looked around the King's Cross. To her dismay, people in King's Cross were becoming fewer and fewer as they started to leave. The brunette sighed again and massaged her forehead as a small headache started to form.

She placed her elbow on her right knee and placed her forehead on top of her hand. This had been a tiring year for her, in her opinion. Their adventures this year were more tiring than last year. Discovering that Scabbers was really Harry's father's old best friend, Peter Pettigrew; meeting the infamous Sirius Black who was wrongly accused for murdering Muggles (it was really Pettigrew); using her time-turner with Harry to save Buckbeak and Sirius; and frighteningly soaring up in the sky while riding at the back of a hippogriff. All were exhausting for the brunette.

But really, they were nothing compared to her true predicament.

After _that _happened, she started to avoid Draco the rest of the year. It was painfully obvious since Harry, Ron, and Ginny noticed it. It was painfully obvious because a lot of Slytherins (who despised Draco for mingling with Gryffindors and _Mudbloods_) noticed it.

Hermione released a rueful sigh. She was sorry it had happened but, she really wasn't the one to be blamed for their present relationship. He ruined it. He ruined their blissful camaraderie. Hermione was already content in having the bestest friend she could ever had but then, with those _two kisses_, he ruined it. The brunette softly cursed the blond under her breath. Everything was really his fault.

The brunette massaged her forehead again.

"Hey."

The Gryffindor jumped on her seat and abruptly looked up. Her eyes instantly narrowed and then, she quickly averted her gaze back to her lap. Her hands were placed on it, curled tightly into fists. A stubborn frown was now evident in her face. Her hair curtained her face away from her intruder. _'How dare he show that… that… face of his!' _Hermione screamed inside her mind as she refused to look at Draco.

The blond sighed and sat down on the bench, too. He made sure that there was a wide space between them so that he wouldn't freak the brunette out. Draco knew she was still angry with him. Her reaction when she saw him just a while ago was enough proof. But then, the Slytherin blond wouldn't give up. It was truly, definitely, agonizingly, _painfully_ hard to avoid her when she was standing under the same roof as he was. Their fight wasn't petty, he knew that. It wasn't like their quarrels in the past. It was… something he couldn't understand but still dreaded. So, Draco had a huge feeling that if he didn't apologize now, Hermione wouldn't talk to him ever again.

Draco clutched Mr. Beady for support. Yes, he might be inanimate and all, but Mr. Beady was important between his friendship with Hermione. Ever since she didn't talk to him, Hermione returned the teddy bear to him and as much as he want to deny it but, it broke his heart into two.

The Slytherin then took a huge deep breath. "All right, you're gonna make me say it, aren't you?" he said bravely. "Fine then… I'm sorry." There, he had said it and boy, it made him feel as if a huge load in his chest was removed.

Hermione still refused to look at him. Now, she crossed her arms across her chest.

Draco sighed and placed Mr. Beady between the two of them. The blond knew what he was going to do was stupid but still… "Forgive him now, 'Mione," Mr. Beady said, though really, it was Draco who was talking. "He's sorry. Please forgive him now." Draco nudged Mr. Beady against the brunette's right arm. "Forgive him. Forgive him. Pretty, pretty please with your favorite fruit on the top. Forgive him. Forgive him," Draco said through Mr. Beady again and again like a mantra.

And to his huge relief, Hermione emitted a soft giggle. It was brief, but still, a giggle. Draco broke into a huge grin and sighed.

"Merlin, Hermione, I…" He didn't have the chance to finish his sentence when Hermione suddenly snatched Mr. Beady away from him. Draco watched as the brunette placed a soft kiss on top of his teddy bear and he couldn't deny the sour feeling he suddenly felt.

"Oh, Mr. Beady, I really missed you," the brunette cooed as she hugged the teddy bear tighter.

"What the - ? Hermione!" Draco exclaimed in frustration. "What do you want now, huh? All right, I'll repeat it again. I'm sorry!" He threw his arms towards the air and released an angry noise. "What else do you want me to do? Kneel down and beg? Because if you want me to do that, I'll" – he stood up – "do it."

Hermione looked at him, surprised, and then sighed. "No, sit down," she ordered. Draco obeyed and sat down on the bench again. This time, though, the gap between them was smaller.

The blond stared at Hermione, waiting for her to talk.

"Granger… just say something," he said.

"Something," the brunette said, staring at him without any expression on her face.

Draco smacked his forehead. "Be serious, Hermione!" he exclaimed. "I'm saying – ."

"They didn't mean anything, right?" she asked suddenly.

"What?"

Hermione sighed and placed her chin on top of Mr. Beady's head. "Those" – she nervously gulped – "_kisses _didn't mean anything, right? Please tell me honestly, Draco."

Draco nervously gulped, too, and looked at his lap. He couldn't deny the feeling he felt when he kissed her. But, did they really mean something to him? Just anything? The blond sighed. "No," he curtly said. Now, who was he bloody kidding?! "They were just meant to shut you up."

The Gryffindor shook her head. "The second one didn't seem to have a purpose to shut me up," Hermione pointed out.

"I said they didn't mean anything at all, Granger." And he knew he was lying.

"Really?" she asked, her eyes wide as she stared at the Slytherin.

"Yes."

"Really, really?" she asked again.

Draco let out a puff of breath. "Yes, yes."

"Sure?"

"Ugh, Granger! What do you want me to say? That they did mean something to me, huh?" Draco asked in exasperation.

Hermione just grinned. "No," she said. "But are you really, really sure?"

"How many times do I have to - ."

The brunette started to laugh. "All right, all right," she said. "I forgive you now."

Draco's eyes widened. "What did you say?" he asked, scooting closer towards Hermione.

Hermione sighed while grinning. "I said I forgive you. Are you happy now?" she asked.

The blond broke into another wide grin. "Very," he answered. He then stretched out his right hand. "So, friends?"

The Gryffindor stared at Draco's stretched hand. She looked up at him and then back to his hand. And then, she slowly grasped it and shook it. "_Best _friends," she corrected him, a small smile now evident on her face.

Draco couldn't help but to smile back.

Quite suddenly, Hermione wrapped her arms around the blond's neck and hugged him tightly. "Oh, I missed you so!" she exclaimed, now laughing quietly. "I missed you so much! I'm sorry for being a stubborn, silly girl."

The blond then slowly wrapped his arms around her waist and placed his chin on top of her head. "I missed you, too," he whispered, eyes slowly drifting shut. But then, he willed his eyes to open up. He admitted to himself that he was slightly getting carried away. He broke the hug, not wanting to do something he liked but she wouldn't like. "So… can you still go to my house this summer break? The invitation is still open."

Hermione grinned. "Of course."

And again, Draco couldn't help but smile back.

**

* * *

_Year Four:_**

Hermione sighed as she continued to waltz around with the arms of the Quidditch Keeper Extraordinaire, Viktor Krum, wrapped around her waist as he led the way. The brunette couldn't help but smile as she caught sight of some more boys staring at her. As much as she hated to admit it, she liked the attention she was receiving, especially from boys, right now. The way their eyes enlarged once they saw her descending down the stairs while she was all dolled up made her quite smug. The periwinkle dress her mother had sent her was seen adorning the petite body of the Gryffindor and her hair (which was thankfully tamed) was tied into a loose bun while some tendrils were covering her glowing face. All in all, she was definitely beautiful.

Viktor twirled her around and met her eyes. Hermione smiled when his eyes shone because of admiration. In her opinion, the Bulgarian Seeker was sweet. The brunette had liked the way he asked her to be his date for the Yule Ball. The brunette liked the reason he had given her why every time she went to the library, he was there. She liked his attention. It thrilled her through the bones.

"You're beautiful," he whispered, making the brunette blush scarlet.

"Thank you, Viktor," she answered him sincerely. Yes, Viktor Krum was definitely charming. Very, very charming. Even though he couldn't pronounce her name properly. But, Hermione just didn't seem to care. Even though he was three years older than her, Hermione didn't care. He was just charming and sweet and all.

But there was something missing. Hermione could feel it. Her forehead scrunched up as she mused on that thought again. _'What? What was missing?' _she asked herself as Viktor twirled her again and dipped her down. He pulled her closer towards him. _'There's something missing. But what?' _

Her thoughts were immediately forgotten once her eyes spotted her best friend's vivid blond hair. Hermione triumphantly smirked at him as his eyes narrowed more. The brunette stuck her tongue out at him and had let Viktor to twirl her again, breaking her eye contact with Draco.

Hermione's smirk grew. _'Take that, Draco Malfoy!' _the brunette thought inside her mind. _'Who said that no one will dare ask me to the ball, huh? Ha! Someone did!' _

The Gryffindor was angry with her Slytherin best friend. And her reason? He was angry because he discovered that she was Viktor Krum's date. He told her that she was _fraternizing _with the enemy. He told her she was _betraying _Harry because she was the date of the a student from their rival school. All Hermione did with his words was roll her eyes. She knew his real reason why he was angry with her.

She deflated his overly-sized ego. And that made Hermione smug. An hour _before _the ball, Draco asked her to be his date. But since Viktor asked her _two days _before the ball, Hermione, being kind and all, agreed to be his date. And so, when Draco asked her to be his date, the brunette had no choice but to turn him down. And, mind you, no girl had ever turned Draco down. And so, that blew his inflated ego.

'_It's his fault, anyway,' _the brunette thought as Viktor stepped on her feet. "Oof!"

"I'm so sorry, Herm-own-ninny!" the Durmstrang student exclaimed, shock evident on his face. "I'm so sorry!"

"No, no, it's all right, Viktor," she said, massaging her throbbing right foot. At the corner of her eyes, she saw Draco laughing. The brunette glared at him and 'hmphed'. She held Viktor's hands again and they started to waltz around.

'_Asking me to the ball an _hour _before it? Oh please! Who in their right minds will ask a girl to the ball an _hour _before the ball itself?!' _the brunette screamed inside her head as she glared at Draco again. The Slytherin blond gladly returned it. His glare, though, was darker than Hermione's.

The song then stopped. Viktor looked at the beautiful fourth year Gryffindor and smiled. "Vould you like some punch, Herm-own-ninny?" he asked.

Hermione flinched slightly at the name he kept on calling her. It was not that she didn't like but, it was just that it wasn't her name. It made her… weird inside every time he called her that. She forced a small smile on her face. "That sounds nice, Viktor," she said.

"I vill get you some, then. Vait for me," he said. And with that, he disappeared from her sight.

The brunette sighed and looked at the entrance door of the Great Hall longingly. She strode towards it, not failing to notice the stares she received from some occupants and took a deep sigh once she was out of the noisy Great Hall. She chose a bench near the Hogwarts Lake and sat down on it. To her shock (and amusement), she could see that the Giant Squid was _dancing _with the music inside Hogwarts. It seemed like even the creatures in Hogwarts were partying with them.

Hermione softly laughed and stared up at the sky, trying to pinpoint all the constellations she knew. She saw the Great Hunter, Orion, and the Tres Marias, his belt. She saw Sirius, Cassiopeia, and many, many more. The brunette sighed and closed her eyes, her head resting against the bench. A slight breeze blew against her face, billowing the loose tendrils of her hair. _'This is life,' _she told herself.

"Enjoying yourself?"

The brunette's eyes snapped open and narrowed themselves as they focused on her intruder. "What do you want now, Draco? Scold me for _fraternizing _with the enemy?" she asked the blond as she watched him while he looked down at her.

"Well, that's what you were doing, _Herm-own-ninny_," Draco said, emphasizing her name. He didn't fail to catch the flinch Hermione made. And that made him smirk.

"Stop calling me that," she said with a scowl.

"But that's what _dear Viktor _calls you," the blond answered back.

"You're not Viktor so stop calling me that, Malfoy," Hermione spat, eyes darkening.

"Oh, so now you're siding with the enemy," Draco said, his glare darkening, too. "You danced with him for countless times, Granger. So, what's next? Kiss him under the moonlight? That's bloody romantic, if you ask me."

Hermione blushed scarlet but thankfully, it was dark so Draco didn't see it. "What the hell is your problem, Draco? Ever since I turned you down, you started to get mad at me."

"That's exactly my problem, Hermione. You _turned _me _down_," Draco said loudly. "And it's all because you said _yes _to that bloody Seeker buffoon!"

The Gryffindor couldn't believe him. Ever since he discovered that the one and only Viktor Krum would visit Hogwarts, he couldn't stop talking about him. But now, she couldn't believe that he just insulted her date. "But that's not my fault, Draco!" she screamed, now standing up and glaring at him. "You asked me an _hour _before the ball!"

"But… but that's because I thought that no one will ask you to be his date!" Draco answered back.

Hermione turned into a terrible shade of red because of angry. She placed both of her hands against her hips and narrowed her eyes into thin slits. "But someone asked me. Ha! So, really, it is _your _fault!"

"NO!" Draco exclaimed. "It isn't. It is your fault. _You _said _yes _to the enemy!" he pointed out.

"Why do you keep on calling Viktor 'The Enemy'! It's as if you're considering him worse than You-Know-Who!" Hermione shrieked.

Draco crossed his arms across his chest. "Because, that's what he is. An enemy," he spat. "And you're _flirting _around him."

"I am not flirting!" Hermione screamed indignantly. "I was merely being _nice_, Draco Malfoy! He asked me to be his date _two days _before the ball. It's only nice to say 'yes' to him!"

"And it's better to do that than say 'yes' to your best friend?" the blond asked, meeting the brunette's burning eyes with his equal burning ones.

The Gryffindor brunette released an angry noise. "What do you want to do now, huh, Draco?!" she shrieked, hands thrown up in the air because of frustration.

"Dance with me!" he exclaimed loudly.

"Fine!" Hermione screamed back.

"Fine!" he answered.

Both of the fourth year students gasped for air. A tensed silence hung around them except the noise of the crickets. Hermione's glare faltered as she realized what Draco had asked her to do. He wanted her to dance with him. Millions and billions of butterflies started swarmed around her stomach as she blinked rapidly and broke the glaring contest she was having with the blond.

"Dance with me," Draco repeated, this time though, he said it in a whisper.

Hermione met his eyes and saw that he too was quite uncomfortable with their current situation. The brunette raised her hands so that she could place them on the right positions. Draco, too, raised his hands. But the two seemed reluctant to touch their partners' appropriate body part, making the brunette frustrated.

"Oh for heaven's sake!" she exclaimed as she placed her right hand on his shoulder. She felt him place his left hand on her waist and a blush crept on the brunette's cheeks. Again, she was thankful that the place was dark. Unbeknownst to her, the blond was red, too, from head to toe. When Draco gripped her left hand with his right, a strong surge of electricity shot down the brunette's body.

'_Sparks, sparks, sparks,' _the brunette thought again and again. She didn't have any idea that Draco, too, felt it.

Hermione's breath started to hitch slightly as she sniffed Draco's cologne. The brunette bit her bottom lip. He bloody smelled nice. She felt him pulling her closer to himself and surprisingly, the brunette allowed him until she was slightly pressed against him. Her head ended buried against his neck while his chin was gently pressed on top of her fixed hair.

They started to waltz in front of the Hogwarts Lake. The Giant Squid followed their every move. Even though there was no music coming from the castle, they continued to dance, pretending that the sound of the crickets was a song.

They danced around and around. At times, Draco twirled Hermione around. At times, Draco dipped Hermione's head low until it almost touched the ground. But then, she would be back into his arms again. Her head would end up buried against his neck and his chin would end up placed gently on top of her fragrant hair again.

They just danced around and around. Hermione's eyes drifted shut as she allowed him to lead her. Draco's eyes drifted shut as he allowed himself to smile because she had allowed him to lead her.

The blond tightened his grip on the brunette. A soft sigh emitted itself from his lips involuntarily as he felt her slightly snuggle against his neck. He remembered the time he danced with Hermione past. He remembered the feeling he felt when his cheek was slightly pressed against her stomach. He remembered the great feeling he felt. But this time, though, the feeling was greater… more powerful.

His hand holding her waist unconsciously wrapped itself around the brunette's waist. To his surprise, Hermione had let him. A small smile, just a small one, started to form itself on his lips. He pulled her closer to himself, wanting to hold her tighter to himself. He didn't know why but right now, he was feeling slightly possessive. "Hermione," he whispered.

"Hmm?" the brunette asked, face still buried on his neck.

"You're… you're…" he said, willing himself to say those words.

Hermione slowly looked at him, her nose slightly skimming his jaw. "I'm what?" she asked softly.

Draco looked down at her and instantly, his breathing stopped. Her face was close… too close. Draco's hug tightened. He didn't know why but, he had another great urge to feel her lips against his again. But with all of his willpower, he stopped himself. He didn't want to sacrifice his friendship with this brunette again. "You're so…"

"HERM-OWN-NINNY? WHERE ARE YOU?!"

The brunette instantly broke away from Draco. "I…I have to go," she whispered and then turned around. She ran away from him, trying her best not to look back.

Draco sighed. Curse that stupid, Quidditch Keeper! Curse him! He ran a hand through his hair and closed his eyes. "You're so beautiful, okay?" he told her even if she wasn't there anymore. The blond plopped himself down on the bench Hermione occupied a while ago. He buried his face in his hands and he released a huge sigh.

He was so confused. Really, really confused.

**

* * *

**"What are you doing here, Hermione?" Draco asked as he slowly advanced towards the bench Hermione was currently sitting on.

The brunette looked up and gave him a small smile. "Contemplating," she said as she looked back to the Hogwarts Lake and sighed.

"About?" the blond asked as he sat down beside her. He, too, looked at the majestic Hogwarts Lake and watched as the Giant Squid did a backstroke. This made Draco chuckle softly to himself.

"About… things that happened this school-year," the Gryffindor answered him as she stared at him. "Don't you agree with me that this year is the most tiring year of all?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Granger, every year keeps on getting tiring and tiring for us and you know that," the blond said.

Hermione sighed again. "I know that," she answered him. "It's just that… I think it isn't fair anymore."

The Slytherin raised an eyebrow. "Why do you think so?" he asked her.

The brunette ran a hand through her brown tresses. "I mean, everything that happens to us normally doesn't happen to normal people."

"That's because we are not normal, Hermione. Remember that. We are magical beings."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I know that, too, Draco. No need to point it out," she told him. "What I mean to say is that all the things we are experiencing – Harry, Ron, you, and me, normally happens to older people. I bet you my most favorite book in the whole world that Professor Flitwick hasn't fought a Dragon or… or… thousands and thousands of Dementors in his whole life. And he's almost a hundred-year-old being!"

"All right, all right, I get your point," Draco answered her. "You should get used to it, Hermione. We're best friends with Harry Potter, anyway. Harry is supposed to defeat You-Know-Who. Now that he's back, the future of the four of us will be more exhausting than these past few years."

The brunette sighed. "It's still not fair," she said with a stubborn pout on her face. "I just… I just want to experience all the things that normally happen to a teenager."

Draco released a soft chuckle. "Too late, Granger. It's already too late," he told her.

Hermione scooted closer to the blond and placed her head on his shoulder, surprising him greatly. The brunette closed her eyes and just released a huge sigh. Draco looked at her and made a small smile. He then looked back at the Giant Squid whose eyes were carefully watching them.

"Draco," the brunette said.

"Yeah?"

"I still haven't figured out why you always make me feel better," the brunette said.

Draco closed his eyes and placed his cheek against her head. "I think I already do, Hermione," he whispered.

"Really?" she said. "So, what did you figure out?"

"I won't tell you," the blond told the brunette. "I think I'd rather let you discover it yourself than tell you. You're a bloody smart witch, Hermione. You'll figure it out someday."

"Hmm," the brunette said.

"And I hope that that someday will be soon," he added inaudibly as he felt Hermione's deep breathing. She was already sleeping. Draco opened his eyes and ever so slowly, he wrapped his right arm around her waist and pulled her closer to his. He placed a gentle kiss on top of her head and closed his eyes again. _'Hermione past,' _he said in his mind. _'What do you think I feel now?' _Draco emitted a soft sigh. _'I mean, don't get me wrong. I like you. I really, really like you. Even now. I told you I'll always like you. I honestly thought that I'm in love with you.' _The blond softly chuckled. _'But you see, what I feel now is… is so different from what I feel for you. It's greater… more powerful.' _Hermione slightly stirred in her sleep and murmured something incoherent. Draco grinned. She was talking in her sleep again. That was one of the things he knew that Harry and Ron and anybody didn't know. Draco inhaled deeply, sniffing her wonderful scent. _'Do you think… do you think this is what you call 'love', huh, dear Hermione?' _The blond placed another sweet kiss on top of her head. _'And you know what? Even though you don't answer me, I think I already know the answer to my question.' _Draco gripped the sleeping brunette's right hand with his free one.

'_Yes,' _he thought as he slowly drifted into sleep. _'Yes, I think I'm in love with Hermione Granger.'_

**

* * *

****A/N: End of chapter!**

**Okay, so yes, the two also have their own 'bench'. I really don't know why I thought of that. Benches seem important in this story, eh? Review!**

**Anyway, so I made an announcement in my other story (Princess in Disguise) that I will make a very important news in the end of this chapter. So, here it goes...**

**What do you think of this story having a sequel because honestly, I already have a plot in mind. I already have a title, a complete summary, and the summaries of the first six chapters. That's how I organize my story, you know. I will think of an appropriate title for that chapter and then underneath it, I will right a short summary (or sometimes long) about it. This are some of my plans: This story mainly focuses on Hermione's perspective, so the sequel of Time's Up! will focus on Draco's perspective and Time's Up! is quite light and fluffy but the sequel will be more dramatic and all. Oh, and lastly, Merlin will be there again! So, what do you think of this story having a sequel? Please tell me about your opinions/feelings in your reviews, okay? It's still important to know what your opinions are.**

**That's all.**

**With love,  
2booklover4 :D**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: Not mine. Not yours. Only JK Rowling's. **

**A/N: Oh yes, I'm back. And of course, I'm very, very glad. So, here's the Part II of What Really Should Have Happened. And surprisingly, this is incredibly long. 34 pages and 22,206 words in Microsoft Word. I still couldn't believe it! This is so far the longest chapter I ever made in my whole life. And actually, I have no idea if this long chapter will bore you (since it's really, really long) or make you happy. **

**By the way, I'm sorry if you spotted some grammatical errors and misspelled words. I'm seriously sleepy right now. Just bear with it, okay?**

**Anyway, just read and review. Enjoy!**

**

* * *

****What Really Should Have Happened: Part II**

_**Year Five:**_

Hermione stretched her arms above her head as she released a rather large yawn. She didn't care now if she was being quite unladylike. Everybody was asleep now, anyway. She was just tired and her body was protesting already because of exhaustion. Now that she was done doing her Prefects duties, she was yearning for the feeling of her comfy bed, soft comforter, and her warm pillows. Thinking about those things made her yawn again.

Once she was nearing the portrait of the Fat Lady, a form materialized just beside the portrait. The brunette pulled out her wand and pointed it at the rule-breaker. She shook her head she slowly approached the student. _'Oh honestly, doesn't he want to go to sleep on top of his comfy bed?' _she asked herself as she softly whispered 'lumos' to lit her wand.

The brunette then pointed her lit wand towards the rule-breaker and then, immediately recognizing him, a soft sigh was emitted from Hermione's mouth. "Draco, what are you doing here?" the brunette asked and watched as the blond slowly looked at her. A wide smile then was seen on his face once his eyes gazed on the Gryffindor Prefect.

"Finally," he told her. "I thought your Prefect Duties won't end anymore."

"You're a Prefect, too, Draco Malfoy," the brunette scolded him sternly. "You're supposed to be a good example to your fellow schoolmates."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yak, yak, yak, blah, blah, blah," the blond said, rolling his eyes. "I really dislike Professor Dumbledore now since he made you a Prefect. All that comes out from your mouth is – 'You're a Prefect. You're supposed to be a good example to your fellow schoolmates' (Hermione slightly laughed here since he perfectly imitated her). Don't you know that it pisses me off already?"

The Gryffindor brunette just shook her head slowly approached. She then sat down just beside him. "You didn't answer my question, Draco," the brunette said. "What are you doing here?"

Draco placed his chin on top of his arms while Hermione brought her knees closer to her chest. She also placed her chin on top of her right knee as she stared at the blond, waiting for him to answer her question. "I was locked out from the Slytherin Common Room," he answered her nonchalantly, swatting a nearby annoying fly.

"Locked?!" the brunette shrieked, eyes widening because of shock.

The blond placed one finger against his lips and slightly glared at the brunette. "Shhh…" he said as his gaze landed on the dozing Fat Lady. "You might wake her up."

Hermione bit her bottom lip. "You were locked out from the Slytherin Common Room?" the brunette said, now in a low whisper. Disbelief was still evident in her voice.

Draco released a soft sigh. "Let's just say that some of them thought it was funny and played a prank on me," he said. "Since Umbridge practically announced to everyone this morning that the Slytherin House can do anything they want, they thought of playing a prank on me, knowing that the won't be punished. Seriously, I hate that fat, old woman. She should burn in hell!"

"A prank?"

"For heaven's sake, woman! Do I - ."

"Shhh…" the brunette said this time, mimicking Draco's action of placing one lip against her lips.

"For heaven's sake, woman. Do I have to repeat everything that I'm saying?" the blond asked, this time in a soft whisper.

Hermione frowned. "But… but locked you out of the Slytherin Common Room?" she asked. "That's too much now, Draco." She paused as she allowed herself to release a soft sigh. Her eyes stared back at his silver ones. "Why don't you fight back, Draco?" she asked in a soft voice.

Draco shook his head in disbelief. "Do you think I'm a coward, Hermione?" he asked, slightly enraged.

The Gryffindor brunette shrugged. "Well, you're not a Gryffindor," she pointed out.

The blond frowned. "Who said that only Gryffindors are the only brave souls here in the whole school?" the blond asked. "Of course I fight back, Hermione. I always do. If I didn't, it's as if I'm allowing them to ridicule or insult or make fun of me. I'm not a stupid person, Hermione. Who in their right minds will find pleasure from ridicules or insults?"

Hermione just stared at him, biting her bottom lip. What she felt right now was evident in her eyes.

"Don't look at me like that, Hermione," the Slytherin said, almost growling.

The brunette sighed. "Did you…" she started in a soft voice. "Did you ever wish that you never befriended me… a filthy, lowly, little Mudblood, huh, Draco? Did you ever wish that you just grew up just like a typical Slytherin who thinks that he's 'holier than thou', or 'I'm the high and mighty. Fear me.' Did you ever wish, just briefly, that you never met me?"

Draco frowned. "Do you still consider yourself as a filthy and lowly Mudblood, Hermione?" he asked, the tone of his voice sounding disapproving. "How many times do I have to tell you that you are way higher than my other stupid housemates?"

Hermione lowered her eyes to the ground. "It still hurts, Draco," she said in a whisper. "I know… I know that I'm way higher than them. You always assured me and I'm glad you do. But" – she averted her eyes away from the ground towards the Slytherin blond – "but… I can't help but still get hurt. It strikes a nerve. It always does. And I think… It always will."

The blond released a huge, audible sigh. "All right, Hermione, you asked me if I ever wished that I never befriended you, right?" Hermione nodded and looked at her feet. "Okay, here's my answer. I never, as in _ever_, wished that I never befriended you." He inhaled deeply. "Honestly, I'm glad that I have sensible friends rather than my stupid housemates who only think that they're the greatest in the whole school when they can't just face the truth and accept that the house of Slytherin is the lowest of all, and I'm not proud I'm a Slytherin. You see, Hermione, everyday, I wake up always and thank Merlin because I have a friend like Harry who I always try to protect since annoying dark forces are attracted to him." Hermione released a soft giggle. "Everyday, I wake up always and thank Merlin because I have a friend like Ron even if he thinks he's the cleanest person in the whole wide world." Draco then made a face. "I promise I ignore his table manners. I promise I do. Even though I'm disgusted already. Do you know why?" Hermione shook her head. "It's because I want to spend my day with him." The brunette gave him a smile which he returned.

"I can't survive a day without those two blokes. They're like brothers to me already," he continued. "I can't bear not to talk to them for an hour. Hell, I can bear not to talk to them for a whole second!"

Hermione chuckled again and stared at her feet. Draco then looked at the brunette, his smile growing bigger. "And, of course, everyday, I wake up always and thank Merlin because I… I have a friend like you whose mere presence already completes my day."

The brunette slowly blushed scarlet and bit her bottom lip in embarrassment. Even though it was dark, Draco caught sight of the pink patches on both of the brunette's milk-white cheeks. And oddly, it made him quite satisfied, making him smirk slightly.

"So Hermione," the blond continued, "even if my housemates ridicule me forever because I'm mingling with Gryffindors… mingling with The-Boy-Who-Won't-Just-Die, mingling with the poor, stinking Weasley, and mingling with the filthy, lowly Mudblood who really is the greatest witch in the whole school" – he stared at Hermione and smile – "I won't care. And that's a promise. If the time comes and I have to choose between my reputation and my friends, you know what I will choose."

"Friends?" the Gryffindor asked, making circles on the cold, stone floor with the usage of her finger.

"No, silly. Of course I'll choose my reputation over my friends," the blond answered her sarcastically.

Hermione rolled her eyes and poked the right side of his temple.

"Ow! Why did you do that?" the blond asked, slightly glaring at the witch while he massaged his throbbing temple.

"To make you realize that there are more important things rather than your stupid reputation, Draco Malfoy," Hermione said, beaming widely. "To make you realize that your bloody reputation is not the most important thing in the whole wide world but some other things like your friends."

"I was just joking, Granger," Draco grumbled. "Did you ever hear of the word 'joke'?"

"Hahaha, I'm laughing so hard," the brunette said monotonously, making Draco chuckle.

"Did I make you better now?" he asked.

Hermione's smile grew. "Absolutely," she answered. "So, where are you going to sleep?"

Draco shrugged. "I dunno… here?" he said in uncertainty. "I really don't know, Hermione, so don't ask me. Maybe I'll just sleep here beside the Fat Lady. It's weird but I feel quite safer here than in my own dormitory." He then shook his head. "I swear, the Fat Lady is really in love with me, Hermione."

The brunette rolled her eyes. "Why is it that guys always think that girls are in love with them?" Hermione asked. "It's making me quite irritated already, you know."

The blond chuckled again. "That's what makes us 'boys', Hermione," he answered.

Hermione laughed, too. "Good point," she said.

"Now, go to your bed and take some goodnight rest," Draco said. "I know that you're already tired after your Prefect Duties."

When the blond said the words 'bed' and 'goodnight rest', the brunette's body reminded her how tired she was. Suddenly, the visions of comfy bed, warm comforter, and soft pillow flashed into Hermione's eyes, not failing to make her release a longing sigh. But as her eyes stared back at Draco… poor, poor, Draco who had to sleep beside the Fat Lady on the cold, stone wall, those visions didn't seem to be appealing anymore. She chose between bed and him and you see, he won.

The Gryffindor brunette released a sigh followed by a yawn and leaned her head against the wall. "I'm going to sleep here, too," she whispered, eyes drifting shut. "I feel safe here, you know."

Draco looked at her with one, blond eyebrow quirked up. "And why is that?" he asked. All he received from the brunette was a soft snore.

The blond chuckled and shook his head. "That was fast," he said as the brunette slightly stirred on her sleep.

"Homework," she murmured, followed by a sigh.

Draco chuckled again. He couldn't believe that even in her sleep, all Hermione thought of was her studies and bloody homework. He grinned when the brunette said another incoherent word. He knew he was the only person in the whole school that knew Hermione Granger talked in her sleep. And that made him quite proud since even Harry and Ron didn't know that simple fact about her.

The Slytherin looked everywhere – up, down, left, and right. He had to make sure that no one was around… no one was watching since he planned to do something he shouldn't do. Seeing no student or any other intruder, Draco faced the brunette. As a new school-year began, his feelings grew for this brunette. He didn't know how but every time he sees her, the first thought that came into his mind was that he was in love with this girl and she was his.

The blond then leaned down closer to Hermione until his lips touched hers. He knew the kiss should be brief since there was a big possibility that the brunette would suddenly wake up and see him doing this sinful act. He didn't want to receive another punch from this girl. She seriously punches like a man.

Draco sighed against her lips before pulling away. He stared forlornly at her two, tempting, red lips and frowned. That made him wanting to kiss her again.

He leaned closer again, but this time, with all of his will-power, he didn't kiss the brunette. Instead, he leaned his forehead against hers and released another soft sigh. "Hermione," he started, rubbing affectionately his thumb against her cheek. "Can I keep you?" All right, all right, he was not being original since he heard that line from a movie he and Hermione watched in her house last summer. But he couldn't help but ask it to her. Ever since he heard that question uttered by that funny-looking ghost (which Hermione thought was quite adorably cute), he yearned in asking it to the brunette herself and to hear what her answer would be. Since the brunette was dead to the world and probably skipping in dreamland, the blond had a chance to ask her, though, he knew he wouldn't receive an answer. But quite oddly, it felt rather nice asking that question to her.

Draco kissed her forehead goodnight sweetly. Draco pulled away from her and leaned his back against the wall. He gently pulled Hermione's head until it was on his shoulder. He wrapped his left arm around her petite waist, pulling her closer to him as possible. This sweet moment would be broken once her eyes were opened that was why Draco had to savor this moment.

"Can I keep you?" he whispered again, kissing the top of her head.

"Hmm…" Hermione murmured.

The Slytherin blond released a huge yawn. "I hope that was a yes," he murmured before he drifted into dreamland.

**

* * *

**"THIS IS BLOODY STUPID!" Hermione shrieked as her back mad contact with the wall in the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry of Magic after she was hit by a curse. The brunette blindly pointed her wand anywhere, not really seeing her attacker since all she could see were stars, and shouted the first spell that came into her mind but unfortunately, she was hit by another spell. Hermione shrieked and shouted another curse word and forced herself to stand up.

The Gryffindor brunette then pointed her wand at her attacker, now clearer seeing him, and shouted a spell. The Death Eater, in the other hand, shouted a curse that had hit Hermione, resulting in an injured ankle.

Hermione collapsed on the floor and cursed herself for having a bad luck on this day. Footsteps were heard approaching her, making the brunette alarmed. She snapped her head up and pointed her wand at the upcoming attacker, but actually, that attacker was none other than Harry Potter. The brunette watched as The-Boy-Who-Lived scrambled towards her and knelt beside her, a worried look plastered on his face.

"Are you all right, Hermione? Are you hurt?" he asked frantically, searching her body for any signs of injury. "Oh Merlin," he groaned as he spotted her injured ankle. "What happened?"

"I'm fine, Harry, really," she said, prying Harry's hands away from her. "Ouch!" she exclaimed when Harry purposely poked her swollen ankle. "That had hurt, Harry Potter!"

"See, you're not all right," he said, glaring at the brunette.

Hermione sighed. "Harry, what are you still doing here?" she asked him. "You're supposed to be finding Sirius now… saving him! Don't mind me. This thing is just a silly scratch. Saving Sirius is more important than this, Harry." The brunette released a huge sigh and closed her eyes. "I hate saying this, Harry, but if you didn't stand up right now and find Sirius, something might happen to him. Or worse, he might" – she gulped – "die."

"Hermione!" Harry exclaimed.

"What, I'm telling the truth!" she replied indignantly. The brunette sighed again and placed both of her hands on the Gryffindor's shoulders. "Listen to me, Harry. This had happened before, remember? Ron was injured on our first year and you were torn between staying and protecting the Sorcerer's Stone. Again, I want you to go. Draco was right, Harry. You are the only one who could have saved the Sorcerer's Stone. And you are the only one who can face Voldemort and save Sirius."

Harry sighed.

"What?" the brunette asked, thinking she had said something wrong.

"You said his name!" Harry exclaimed.

Hermione made a small smile. "Well, Harry, if I know that someday I will face Lord Voldemort, then I have to say his name as bravely as I can. Remember, fear of the name only increases fear of the thing itself," she quoted.

Harry grinned. Suddenly, he looked up and spotted the mass of blond hair. "DRACO, OVER HERE!" he exclaimed. Hermione also looked at where Harry was looking and indeed, their best friend was running towards them.

"Harry, are you all right?" he asked, slightly feeling panicky. "Are you hurt?" He then looked at the Gryffindor brunette. "Is Hermione all right? Are you hurt or what?" Draco then spotted Hermione's swollen ankle and groaned. "No, don't answer my last question. I obviously figured it out already."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'm really all right, people. I won't die easily because of this stupid swollen ankle," she grumbled.

Draco's eyes then landed on Harry. "What are you still doing here, Potter? You're supposed to be saving Sirius right now!" he exclaimed.

"That's what I'd told him," Hermione said, looking at Harry pointedly.

The blond then stood up and looked at The-Boy-Who-Lived. "All right, Harry, get up," he ordered. "I'll come with you. You face Voldemort while I save Sirius. Is my plan quite all right?"

"No," Harry said.

Draco frowned. "What, do you want me to face Voldemort and you'll save Sirius?" he asked.

Harry shook his head. "No, Draco, stay with Hermione," he answered him. "Neville will come with me." The dark-haired young men's eyes then gazed on the only standing Gryffindor in the room.

"Are you deranged, Harry?!" Draco exclaimed in a low whisper. "All right, it's not that I don't like Longbottom but… it's Longbottom we're talking about here!"

A small smirk appeared on Harry's face as he leaned slightly closer to Draco. "Hermione needs you more than I do," he told him. At the corner of his eyes, he noticed the suspicious look of the Gryffindor brunette herself.

"Granger's a big girl now, Potter," the blond said while frowning. "She can take care of herself. She's quite tough, you know."

"Whatever, Draco Malfoy," Harry said. "I insist. You stay here and look after Hermione."

"No, I insist, Harry Potter," Draco said. "I'll come with you."

"What are you whispering about there?" Hermione asked, suddenly butting in.

Draco and Harry looked at Hermione at the same time. "Nothing," they said unison before looking at each other again.

The Gryffindor sighed. "Look here, Draco, I know your secret," Harry told him. "Your deepest darkest secret and it consists of that girl over there."

The blond frowned and slightly colored. "I… I don't know what you are talking about, Harry," he grumbled.

"I'm not dense, Draco. I know what you truly feel," The-Boy-Who-Lived said.

"I still don't know what you are talking about," the blond said, pouting as he crossed his arms.

Harry sighed again and shook his head. "I repeat, Malfoy. I am not dense. I know what you truly feel for Hermione," he said. This time, Draco's jaw dropped open and his eyes enlarged. "There's no point in denying anymore, Draco. I know" – he poked his chest where his heart was – "what your heart feels." Harry leaned closer with impish smile on his face. "And don't worry, Draco Malfoy, I think both of you will be perfect for each other." The bespectacled student then looked at Neville. "OI, NEVILLE! COME WITH ME!" And with that, both Harry and Neville disappeared, leaving Draco, Hermione and some unconscious Death Eaters alone.

"Draco," Hermione started, "are you still breathing?"

The blond then walked towards Hermione, trying to compose himself. "Can you stand, Hermione?" he asked, ignoring her previous question.

Hermione frowned. "What do you think?" she asked.

Draco sighed and held both of her shoulders. He pulled her up effortlessly and supported her. "I'll help you, then," he said.

"Thank you," she answered back. "Now, come on, let's find Ron and the others."

The blond just nodded his head.

Hermione eyed him suspiciously. "Draco?"

"Yeah?"

"Why are you red?"

All the blond did was to turn redder.

**

* * *

**"I knew it," Draco said as he finally arrived in their bench. He released a long sigh as the brunette snapped her head up. The blond pressed his lip into a thin line as he saw the tears streaming down the Gryffindor's face. Hermione quickly averted her head away from the blond. She now was staring at her lap, hands crumpled into fists. She was biting her bottom lip, trying her hardest not to sob out loud. As secretly as she could, she wiped her tears. But, too late; Draco had already noticed them.

Draco knew that the brunette would come to their meeting place after Harry's fit when he discovered from Nearly-Headless Nick that Sirius couldn't become a ghost in Hogwarts like them. And of course, Hermione got worried. Draco was worried of Harry, too, but he knew that Hermione was more worried. She tends to get more worried than the others to the point that she would cry on their behalf.

The Slytherin blond then sat down closely to the crying brunette and released another sigh. "It's fine, Hermione. Please stop crying now," he comforted in a soft voice. "Everything's all right now."

Hermione released a soft sob. "No, Draco, everything's not fine. Everything's not all right anymore." She paused as she wiped her face again. "It's not fair anymore. It's not fair. Poor Harry… poor, poor Harry."

"Stay strong," he whispered. "You're a Gryffindor."

The brunette shook her head vigorously. "I can't always stay strong. I'm a Gryffindor, yes I know that, but I also have limits, Draco. I can't always stay strong especially if it involves the people that I love the most."

"Harry will get over it soon," he continued.

"Why did Sirius leave him, Draco?" she wailed. "Please tell me why! Why is it that all of the people that Harry loves leave him."

"Hermione…"

"If only…" she continued, gasping for air. Because of her tears, she seriously had a difficulty of breathing. "If only Harry was born as a normal person, Draco. Then… then maybe Sirius will still be alive, visiting him unexpectedly to see if his favorite godson is all right. God, maybe Harry won't be an orphan right now and we might have met James and Lily Potter!"

Draco sighed and closed his eyes. "Everything happens because of a reason, Hermione, remember that," he whispered, slowly opening his eyes. He slowly gripped her left hand, rubbing his thumb comfortingly and affectionately against her smooth palm.

Hermione looked at him through her wet eyelashes, making Draco think that she was the most beautiful girl in the whole wide world that he ever laid eyes on. The blond licked his lips and averted his gaze away from her. He watched as the Giant Squid eyed them carefully… suspiciously. He then brought his eyes towards the glorious, shining moon.

"You know what, Hermione," he started. "No one knows this but… I'm the reason why I'm an orphan right now. I'm the reason why my parents died."

"Don't say that, Draco," she whispered, sniffing. Draco slowly looked back at her and offered her a small smile.

"But, it's true, Hermione," he whispered. "I'm the reason why my father and mother are dead." He sighed and looked at their joined hands. He was glad that Hermione hadn't pulled away her hand. "Sometimes, I ask why my parents were like that. I ask why my father has to be part of _them_. I ask why my mother acted like that, only thinking about how she looked or what people thought of her." He looked back at the brunette who was watching him thoughtfully. "They were never like parents to me, Hermione. But, don't get me wrong. I wasn't happy when my father received the Kiss of a Dementor and I wasn't also happy when my mother died because of craziness. But I wasn't sad either. Their death made me think… question why my life was like that."

Hermione squeezed his hand which made him smile. "Sometimes," he continued, "no, let me correct that. _Most of the time_, I wished that I was born in a different family. I wished that I was not a Malfoy… that I grew in a family that really loved me, Hermione. But as I grew old, I started to accept that I grew up as me because again, there's a _reason_. I honestly don't know what the reason is but… I just know that there is one."

The brunette gently laid her head on his shoulder, releasing a soft sigh. "And then, she came along," he continued, a smile gracing on his lips as he remembered his beautiful Hermione past. "She came along and changed my life. Even if I only saw her for three weeks, she still changed my life… my whole life." He inhaled deeply, sniffing the brunette's fragrant scent. "She made me feel loved, Hermione. She taught me a lot of things like how to enjoy my own childhood, how to appreciate simple things, how to accept my mistakes, how to love… For the first time, someone made me feel that I'm being cared for and how good it was."

"She was actually the reason why I told the Ministry of Magic that my father was Death Eater," he continued. "She knew that I was being abused by my father. I don't why but she knew. She knew also about my father being a Death Eater. And she asked me… she pleaded me to tell the Minister that my father was one of them. And you know what her reason was?" He felt Hermione shake her head. "She told me that she cared for me. She wanted me to grow up as someone who was free. She didn't want me to be controlled by my father when I grow up." Draco closed her eyes. "Being controlled by other people is one of my greatest fears, Hermione." He paused for a few minutes before continuing, "In my entire childhood, those three weeks with her were the best weeks in my life."

Draco sighed and slowly opened his eyes. "I'm glad I followed her because if I didn't, I might be like those Slytherin brutes who only love themselves. I don't want to be like them, Hermione. I don't want to be… to be feared at. I don't want to hurt people. I don't want to insult those who are not Purebloods like you. I don't want to cause the pain. Honestly, that is one of my greatest fears, too."

Hermione lifted her head away from his shoulder and looked at him. She placed a hand on his right cheek and gently rubbed her thumb against his cheek. Draco's eyes drifted close, marveling at her wonderful touch. "You're not like them, Draco," she assured him softly.

The Slytherin smiled. "Yes, I know," he answered back. Draco kissed her palm and squeezed it slightly. "I'm glad I'm not like them." The blond sighed and looked straight again. "So, you see, Hermione," he continued, "things happen because of a reason. The reason why I'm an orphan now is because if my parents are alive, I won't be talking to you now, which will be quite hard, by the way." He saw the small smile that the brunette flashed at him at the corner of his eyes. "I really don't know the reason why all the people Harry love leave him... I really don't know the reason why Sirius left him. But again, there is a reason. And maybe" – he slowly looked at the brunette again – "their death will help him in the future, especially if he is fighting the Dark Lord already."

Hermione's small smile slowly grew into a big one. His words… his words had struck her so much. As she looked at the Slytherin in front of her, she couldn't help but feel proud of him. His words were wise. His words were true. His words were sincere. His words were comforting. She released a soft sigh as he smiled back. She really was thankful to all the gods and goddesses in the whole universe that she had a best friend named Draco Malfoy.

"Did I make you feel better now?" he softly asked, a hopeful look on both of his eyes.

The brunette slowly nodded. "You always do, Draco," she whispered. "You always do."

Draco gave her a smile. Suddenly, she did something that greatly surprised him.

When she did this, the Giant Squid in the Hogwarts Lake oddly danced. When she did this, for the first time ever since they met in the bench, the crickets grew silent, as if celebrating quietly what was happening right now. When she did this, the moon glowed brighter. When she did this, time seemed to stop. When she did this, Draco's heart raced. When she did this, he started to blush. When she did this, his eyes enlarged.

She kissed him on the cheek.

All right, fine, Draco was overreacting a little. Hermione just kissed him on the cheek! But Merlin, the feeling that she made him feel! The butterflies, or rather bees in his stomach swarmed wildly around. And Draco swore that some were stinging him since his stomach was peculiarly painful. He felt the sudden sparks again… the sparks that he felt ever since he kissed her on their third year. And his heart was flying! Oh God, his heart was flying! His eyes shown because of pure bliss. If Hermione had just kissed him straight on his lips then… Draco blinked several times, not wanting to continue that thought. At least Hermione had kissed him! Well, yeah, on the cheek but that was good enough. But still…

Draco just shook his head as he sighed contentedly when she suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I'm still worried for Harry," she whispered, softly sniffling.

Draco's eyes drifted shut as he slightly hugged her tighter. "Don't be," he whispered. "Harry will soon find strength in Sirius' death."

"I'm still worried," she softly said, voice slightly quivering because of the tears rolling down her face. "Harry blames himself for Sirius' death."

"I'm worried, too," he said. "But, stop worrying too much, Hermione. It's not healthy. And besides, I know that Harry will soon feel less pain as the days passed. You know him too well. You know that he tends to blame himself over bad things that he didn't do." Draco then started to rub her back gently as he tried to console the love of his life. He kissed the side of her head and whispered, "So, stop crying now, Hermione. I know… I greatly feel that in the end, everything will be all right."

Hermione sniffed and started to wipe away her tears. "Okay," she answered him.

Silence was heard between the two of them. And then, the brunette suddenly broke it. "Draco?"

"Yeah?"

"Promise me one thing," she said, tightening her hug. "Promise me that if we finally have more responsibilities, different interests… different lives, please promise me that you will still find a time to talk to me."

"I promise," he said, grinning widely.

"Good," the brunette said, also smiling widely.

Draco softly chuckled. "Let's go back to the castle now. I think it's almost midnight already. I don't want to look like a raccoon again tomorrow." He then sighed. "And Harry and Ron might suspect something again tomorrow if they see that both of us look like raccoons."

The brunette's hug tightened. "Can we please stay here for just a few more minutes?" she pleaded. "Please, Draco."

"Okay, fine," he said softly as he caught a whiff of Hermione's fragrant hair. Draco was being honest if he said that he wanted to stay right there and then in the arms of Hermione Granger. Draco was being honest if he said that he wanted to stay here forever, away from the chaos in the Wizarding World. If only he could freeze time and last this moment forever. "Let's stay here for a few more minutes."

**

* * *

**_**Year Six:**_

"HARRY JAMES POTTER!" Hermione shrieked as she stomped inside the Gryffindor Common Room, eyes ablaze because of pure anger.

"Uh oh, here she comes," Ron whispered to Harry who just glared at the redhead. He then directed his glare towards the fuming Gryffindor brunette and watched as she trudged towards him until she was directly in front of him.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to trust that bloody Half-Blood Prince and just throw his book away?!" she exclaimed, tears of anger slowly rolling down her eyes.

"Umm…" Ron said, clearing his throat slightly. "You've got to admit that his spells are… cool." He cringed once Hermione's eyes were shooting daggers at him.

"Cool? COOL?!" she shouted in anger. "It is not cool, Ronald! It is not cool!" She then directed her glare back to Harry who had a stubborn pout on his face. His arms were also crossed against his chest as he coldly stared back at the enraged brunette. "Look at what had happened to Draco! Harry, you used one of this stupid Prince's spell against your own best friend! And look where he is right now?! In the infirmary! God!"

Harry's frown deepened. "It's that stupid git's bloody fault," he grumbled.

Hermione sniffed. "Do you still suspect him of doing those things that had happened to Katie and Ron's poisoning?" she asked, now in a whisper. "Harry, you know Draco so well. He wouldn't dare do those kinds of things. He's not the same as his other housemates."

The dark-haired boy's glare disappeared. A look of desperation now flashed on his face. "Hermione, he's not the Draco Malfoy we know! He's not our best friend! He's acting so strangely and suspiciously these past few days. Of course I'll suspect him!"

"HARRY!" the brunette shrieked. Her whole body shook because of her tears. "Draco will never do that. Draco's not like that."

Harry 'hmphed' and looked away from Hermione. "Are you siding with him?" he asked tersely.

Hermione shook her head and ran a hand through her hair because of frustration. "You're hopeless, Harry," she said as she turned on her heel and walked out of the Gryffindor Common Room.

'_Hopeless, hopeless, hopeless!' _she screamed in her mind as she hastily wiped her tears pouring down her face. She willed herself to continue walking towards the Hospital Wing to visit Draco. She was being slightly hesitant since she didn't want to see him there on the bed, full of bandages wrapped around his body. She didn't want to see the result of Harry's… foolishness. She didn't want to see the Draco Malfoy she knew quite vulnerable.

As she opened the infirmary door, she easily spotted Draco's blond hair amidst the beds in the Hospital Wing. She pointedly ignored the bandages wrapped around his body and his other visible cuts. Draco's eyes were closed, making Hermione presume that he was fast asleep. But as her feet made small noises on the floor, his eyes fluttered open which surprised the brunette.

She reached his bedside and watched as his eyes gazed on her. A small smile slowly formed on his face as he looked at her. "Hey," he said softly in a way of greeting.

Hermione sat down on his bed just beside him. "Are you all right now?" she asked, sniffing.

"I'm quite sore," he told her. His smile then turned into a frown as tears continued to stubbornly pour down Hermione's eyes. "Why are you crying?" he asked her, lifting his right hand and placing it on her right cheek. With the usage of his right thumb, he wiped away the brunette's tears.

"Harry," she simply answered followed by a soft sob.

Draco sighed. "Figures," he said. "What did he do now?"

The brunette sniffed. "I… I just don't get him anymore, Draco," she told him softly. "Look at what he did to you. Cursing you using a… a spell that he didn't even know!"

The blond sighed again and closed his eyes. "Is he still suspecting me?" he asked her quietly.

Hermione nodded her head. "I'm sorry," she told him.

Draco opened his eyes and offered her a small smile. "Don't be," he told her. "It's not your fault."

Hermione sighed and looked at Draco in distress. "But, Draco," she started. "You're really acting weird these past few days. Is something wrong, huh, dragon? You can tell me."

"I… I honestly don't know, Hermione. So please don't ask me," he told her, followed by a small shrug. "I also feel a little weird, you know. Sometimes, I just find myself in a place and I don't even know how I got there."

"Why don't we tell Dumbledore?" the brunette offered. "He might have an explanation. He _always _has an explanation."

Draco shook his head. "Why bother?" he asked her. "He's too busy with a very important errand, Hermione. He has to worry about Harry more than me."

"Dumbledore's not like that, Draco," Hermione told him. "Of course he worries for all of the students in Hogwarts."

The blond just shook his head. "Just… never mind it," he told her. "Now, go back to the Gryffindor Common Room and kick Harry's butt for me, okay?"

Hermione softly giggled. "Okay," she answered him. And then, the brunette leaned down and kissed Draco's forehead, making him smile slightly. "Get well soon, Draco." And with that, she stood up from his bed and walked out of the infirmary.

Once she was out of his sight, a feeling of distress and confusion came crashing down Draco like a huge tsunami. He covered his face with both of his hands and released an audible groan. "What the bloody hell is wrong with me?!"

**

* * *

**"DRACO!" Hermione shrieked as she, followed by Ron, burst inside the Astronomy Tower. Both of them gasped in unison as they stared at the scene in front of them. Draco's wand arm was lifted with his hand grasping his magical stick. And his wand was surprisingly pointed towards their old Headmaster, Professor Albus Dumbledore.

The brunette, after composing herself, made a start to run towards the blond but the Headmaster immediately stopped her.

"Miss Granger, stay where you are!" Professor Dumbledore ordered. "Mister Malfoy is not himself. He's under the influence of the Imperius Charm. He is dangerous. Do not come near him."

Hermione gasped again. She started to connect all the jumbled pieces together. Draco's peculiarity… Harry's suspicion… the thing that happened with Katie and Ron's poisoning… the blond's sudden disappearance. She connected all of them together. Hermione's heart sank as she came to the conclusion that all that had happened on Katie's friend and Ron were all Draco's fault. But it made her quite relieved to know that he only did all of those… heinous things because he was under the influence of the Imperius Curse.

"Voldemort…" Ron whispered, eyes enlarged.

The brunette looked at him in surprise. For the very first time in Ron's whole life, he had said the Dark Lord's name without stuttering and flinching. "What?" she asked him.

"Voldemort placed Draco under the Imperius Curse," he told her, eyes still wide because of astonishment and fear. "Look at Malfoy, Hermione. Look at him and you will see that… that vile monster."

Hermione followed Ron and stared at her best friend. And indeed, he was right. For the first time in her whole life, she feared Draco. The look on his face was murderous. His eyes were blood-red, resembling the Dark Lord's. And his face showed pure hate and anger which could only be possessed by Lord Voldemort himself. Hermione started to cry and released a soft sob. She couldn't believe it. Their Draco… _her _Draco, was being used by _him_. The brunette glared at nowhere. She didn't even know if she could classify that Muggle-born, half-blood hater a human. "FIGHT HIM, DRACO!" she screamed, surprising all of the occupants in the Astronomy Tower.

The said blond looked at the brunette curiously, a frown evident on his face. "Hermione?" he asked, confusion evident of his face. His eyes shifted to his warm, grey eyes before shifting back to Voldemort's red ones.

The brunette released a soft sob as she continued to stare at the blond. He knew Voldemort's Imperius Curse on her best friend was strong to the point that it was as if Draco was being possessed by the Dark Lord already. And that made Hermione scared. No, not scared for herself but scared for the blond.

"Get away from him, Voldemort. Do not use my students to fight me," Professor Dumbledore said, his voice strong and firm. "If you are brave, you will not use Mister Malfoy and fight me yourself, Tom." The Headmaster slowly walked towards the blond, arms stretched carefully in front of him.

"STAND BACK!" Draco screamed. At the corner of her eyes, Ron shivered in fear. Draco's voice wasn't his. It was Voldemort's. "If you come nearer me, Dumbledore, I'm going to kill you."

"Tom…" the old Headmaster said but then, he didn't have the chance to finish his sentence since Hermione broke his order and ran towards the blond. She couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't bear to see her best friend being controlled by someone else. He told her himself. Being controlled by other people was one of his greatest fears. And Hermione had to save him. If no one else can, not even Dumbledore, she would try because Draco always listened to her. Draco cared for her. Seeing him in trouble made her worried and he knew that the blond didn't want her to worry too much.

Hermione then grabbed his wand arm and wrenched his wand away from his hand. She threw it at the farthest corner of the Tower. "Draco, listen to me, please," she pleaded. "Fight him, please. You don't want to be controlled by other people, right? You told me yourself, dragon. It's one of your greatest fears. Please fight him back, Draco. Please fight him back."

A look of confusion crossed on the blond's face again. But like what had happened a while ago, it was brief. The murderous look came back on his face and glared at the brunette. He pushed her away from him. Hard. The brunette's back collided against the wall and she released a shriek of pain. Ron immediately came to her aid.

"Are you all right, Hermione?" he asked her in worry.

The brunette ignored his question. Instead she cried loudly as she stared at the blond who was now looking for his precious wand. "DRACO, FIGHT HIM BACK!" she cried. "FIGHT HIM BACK!"

Professor Dumbledore watched the crying brunette thoughtfully. He was thinking… contemplating. And then, a small smile formed on his face as he finally analyzed the situation. "Ah, I see," he said softly.

"Fight him back, please! Fight him back!" Hermione sobbed. Ron, not knowing what to do, only hugged the crying brunette for comfort. "Fight him back."

A deafening shout then filled the Astronomy Tower. It wasn't Hermione. It wasn't Ron. It wasn't Professor Dumbledore either. It was Draco. All three of them stared at the blond who was now kneeling down while clutching his head.

"GET OUT OF ME, YOU DAMN, HALF-BLOOD MONSTER!" the blond shouted as he continued to clutch his head.

The Headmaster made another small smile. Draco Malfoy was definitely fighting back.

And then suddenly, there was silence. Draco collapsed on the cold, stone floor. Hermione and Ron, after composing themselves, immediately scrambled towards their best friend. The brunette cautiously held his cheek. "Draco?" she asked him, shaking him awake.

The blond slowly opened his eyes. To Hermione's and Ron's relief, his eyes were back to normal. He groaned as he tried to sit up. Ron helped him up.

"Nice to see you again, mate," the redhead said, beaming brightly.

Draco gave him a weak smile before turning at the still crying brunette. And then quite suddenly, Hermione flung her arms around his neck and held him tight. That made Draco's smile grow. "I'm sorry," he said as he felt her tightening her hug. "I'm sorry for making you worry."

Hermione's only answer was another soft sob as she buried her face at the crook of his neck.

Suddenly, the door of the Astronomy Tower burst open. They were relieved to see that it was Professor Snape. At first, he looked around before his eyes landed on Professor Dumbledore.

"Severus, please," he said… begged for only the ex-Potions Master to hear.

Time started to run slowly. Professor Snape pulled out his wand from his pocket and pointed it towards the Headmaster. And then, a flash a green light burst out from the tip of his wand hurled toward the old, great wizard. If someone was observing attentively, they would see the ghost of a smile playing on the Headmaster's face before he was hit by the Killing Curse squarely on his chest. Professor Dumbledore's body then moved until it was at the edge of the Tower. And then, he fell, lifeless… breathless… cold… dead…

Hermione released a loud scream of despair after she had witnessed the death of their beloved Headmaster. Professor Snape then fled the Astronomy Tower.

Suddenly, Harry materialized from nowhere. A look of distress and anger were marring his young face. A look of murder was seen on his face. He ran towards the door of the Astronomy Tower until he was out of their sight.

"HARRY!" Hermione exclaimed as she stood up, wanting to run after him.

"No, Hermione!" the blond said in exclamation. "Leave Harry alone."

"But… but…" she stuttered and covered her face with both of her hands. "Oh Merlin. Oh my God. This is horrible. So, so horrible."

"Draco's right, Hermione," the redhead said softly, casting his eyes downward. "Leave Harry alone. Let's just bring Draco to the infirmary."

Hermione removed her hands away from her face and nodded her head. Together with Ron, they lifted Draco up. The three of them then walked out of the Astronomy Tower, anguish and fright evident on their faces as they remembered the downfall of the great Professor Albus Dumbledore.

**

* * *

**"I have decided," Professor Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, now as the new Headmistress since Dumbledore's death, started, "to bestow Mister Malfoy the punishment of… expulsion."

The Gryffindors in the office of the Headmaster, Headmistress rather, gasped in surprise as they stared wide-eyed at their respected Head of the Gryffindor House.

Hermione frowned, still staring at Professor McGonagall. For years, Hermione had idolized their Transfiguration teacher. She had always liked her way of disciplining the students in Hogwarts. Deep down her feminine heart, she knew that she was a kind-hearted woman. But it greatly surprised her when she suddenly decided to expel Draco Malfoy from this school. They had given her reasons… they had given her a complete description of all the things that had happened in the Astronomy Tower last night. Hermione was confident that she would grant pardon to Draco, knowing that she would believe them. So, now, it surprised her when her most admired teacher in the whole school decided to expel her student because he did something that he didn't do at all.

"That's not fair!" Ron protested, face suddenly starting to turn bright red.

"Professor," Harry started grimly, "we explained to you everything that we had witnessed in the Astronomy Tower. It was _Severus Snape _who killed Professor Dumbledore, not Draco. Please, Professor McGonagall, believe us because this is the truth."

"But, Severus will never do that!" Professor Flitwick, Charms Professor, reasoned. "Severus is a trusted Order member. Killing Dumbledore will be hard for him."

"But _he _did," Harry spat, hands clenching into fists. "And we had seen it."

Hermione heaved a sigh of relief as she greatly stared at Harry. She was glad that she was defending Draco right now because honestly, he needed it right now. The brunette looked at Draco at the corner of her eyes and frowned. _'Why isn't he defending himself?' _she asked. Ever since they went inside the office, Draco had been silent and that made the brunette quite worried. He was not acting like he was himself. Hermione slightly shrugged. Maybe he was still mourning for Dumbledore's death. She had seen his face while their deceased Headmaster was being buried six feet under the ground.

The brunette sighed then looked at the teachers in the whole room. "Then, if you do not believe us, please tell us why Severus Snape is not here right now, also deciding what punishment will be placed on Draco," she started. The teachers quickly averted their gaze away from the brunette, not wanting to stare straight at her eyes. Hermione made a small smile. At the corner of her eyes, she saw the smug look of Harry and Ron. At the corner of her eyes, she saw the small hint of smile on the blond's face. Surprising him, Hermione reached for his hand and gently squeezed it.

"If you do not believe us, please tell us why he left Hogwarts without any word, as if he wanted to run away from a murder he did," she continued. She bravely took a step forward and stared straight at their new Headmistress. "Please, believe us, Professor McGonagall. Draco didn't do anything wrong. He did not kill Professor Dumbledore. We know him… too well, actually. And for years, we know that he won't do something like that." She sighed as Draco's thumb slightly rubbed her hand. "If Professor Dumbledore is alive right now, I know that he will believe us immediately. Before, he will immediately believe without any suspicion… without hesitation. He trusted his students. So, please, Professor, as the new Headmistress of Hogwarts, please believe us. Yes, he tried to kill Professor Dumbledore but Draco was just placed under the Imperius Curse by Voldemort (Some of the teachers flinched). But that doesn't mean he killed him." Hermione released another sigh. "I repeat, Professor, Severus Snape was the one who killed our Headmaster. So, please, don't expel Draco. He didn't do anything wrong."

After the brunette's little speech, all of the occupants in the office of the Headmistress fell silent. And then, Professor McGonagall broke the silence with her audible sigh.

"Who believes them?" she asked, looking around the room.

"I do," Professor Sybil Trelawney said, raising her right hand up.

"I do, too," Professor Pomona Sprout said, beaming at the four students in the room.

And soon, more teachers announced that they believed Harry, Ron, Hermione, and of course, Draco.

Professor McGonagall sighed again and closed her eyes. She pinched the bridge of her nose as she said, "All right, I believe all of you." She slowly opened her eyes. "Now, off you go. Go back to your dormitories and help your other housemates in cleaning the mess. You're now dismissed."

The students beamed as they walked out of the office of the Headmistress.

"Whew," Ron said, scratching the back of his neck. "That was pretty intense."

"Yeah," Harry said, grinning. "But at least Draco's saved."

The blond just rolled his eyes but couldn't help but smile back.

"That was a good speech back there, Hermione," the redhead said, patting the brunette's shoulder.

The brunette smiled. "Thanks," she said.

"Why didn't you defend yourself, Draco?" Ron demanded. "You were awfully quiet back there. You didn't even say a word."

Draco smirked. "Why bother when I know that the three of you will defend me?" he asked, his smirking turning into a teasing smile.

"Intelligent, Malfoy, very intelligent," the Weasley said as he matched Draco's teasing smile.

Harry just laughed and shook his head. "Now, come on, all of you. We still need to visit the other Order members in the infirmary," he said.

Ron rolled his eyes. "If I know better, Harry Potter, I'd say that you just wanted to see my _beloved _sister," he said, slightly glaring at The-Boy-Who-Lived.

The dark-haired Gryffindor paled as he met Hermione's eyes. The brunette offered him an apologetic smile. She knew that he already broke everything off with Ginny, just to protect her. And honestly, when Hermione discovered this, her heart broke into two.

Harry then followed Ron. Hermione was about to follow them when Draco suddenly tugged her arm until she ended trapped between his arms. She looked up at him, surprised, as a small smile started to form on his face.

"Thank you," he told her as he leaned closer and kissed her forehead. "You made me proud back there, do you know that?"

Hermione chuckled softly (though, she knew she was slightly blushing). "Anything for my favorite dragon."

"OI, ARE YOU COMING OR WHAT?!" Ron shouted. Draco broke free from Hermione.

"Come, let's go," he said. Hermione nodded and started to follow the other two with Draco at her side.

And then, suddenly, she felt his warm hand enclosing hers. Her smile grew as a small sigh escaped from her lips. This simple gesture made her heart flutter. This simple gesture made butterflies fly wildly in her stomach. This simple gesture made her feel the _sparks _again. The brunette knew she had to be alarmed. But oddly, she didn't want to pull her hand away from his comfortable one. Instead, she shifted her hand until her fingers were entwined with his. At the corner of her eyes, she saw him smile.

**

* * *

**_**Year Seven:**_

"No, Harry, what you are trying to tell me is actually incorrect," the Head Girl said as she shook her head at the dark-haired boy. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were now walking towards the Heads' Dormitory where Hermione was currently staying at. Since she was chosen as the Head Girl by Headmistress McGonagall, she had to move out from the Gryffindor Common Room to the Heads' Dormitory. And of course, much to her absolute delight, her best friend, Draco Malfoy, was chosen as the Head Boy.

Harry sighed tiredly and waved a dismissive hand. "All right fine, I'm wrong if I'm wrong," he said.

Ron laughed. "What? You won't defend your answer?" the redhead asked, looking at Harry with amusement evident in his blue eyes.

"I don't have the energy to," he said, releasing a wide yawn. "I'm kinda sleepy. Let's go back to the Gryffindor Common Room and take a nap before the start of the afternoon classes, Ron."

"Now that you mentioned it," Ron started, rubbing his right eye. "I'm dead beat. Merlin, the potion that we made in Potions practically drained the life out of me!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You're overreacting, Ron," she told him. The brunette watched them carefully as the both yawned in unison. Instantly, Hermione's eyes narrowed because of suspicion. "Were you sneaking out last night again?" she asked, demanding for an answer. She had seen their looks before and she knew that they might have sneaked out last night again.

Ron smiled at her sheepishly while Harry just rolled his yes.

"Hey, even if you are best friends with both of the Heads in Hogwarts," the brunette scolded, "that doesn't mean that you have to abuse it and break rules, you know."

Harry rolled his eyes again and sighed. "Oh, cut it out, Hermione," he started, a small smile now growing on his face. "You were always with Draco every night. Doesn't that mean you're sneaking out, too?"

Hermione's face turned red and so did Ron's. "Really?" the redhead asked. The person didn't have to be Albert Einstein to notice the jealousy in his voice.

The Gryffindor brunette just sighed. She knew that the redhead had this silly, little crush on her. And it annoyed her, really, because every time she was with Ron, she would immediately feel awkward and all. She really had no idea how this Weasley suddenly fell head over heels with her. I mean, she wasn't that beautiful… Hermione rolled her eyes (earning some curious looks from the other two). Now, who was she kidding? She knew that she looked quite lovely ever since the start of the school-year. Girls gave her compliments… asking her how she just miraculously morphed from plain, ol' Hermione Granger to their beautiful, gorgeous Head Girl. Boys made it obvious since they started to eye her interestingly which made the brunette quite uncomfortable (but slightly pleased, by the way). She honestly didn't know how. All she knew was that she was becoming quite popular for her own good.

"Why didn't you tell me?" the redhead continued, snapping Hermione out of her musings. At the corner of her eyes, she saw Harry's eye rolling and his frown.

"I don't have to tell you everything, Ronald," the brunette snapped. "And Harry," she said, looking at the dark-haired boy, "we were just having some… _friendly _meetings there. At least we are not doing anything wrong unlike the both of you."

Harry's smile didn't waver. "Besides the fact that both of you are breaking the rule because you were roaming around after curfew," he pointed out.

"We were doing our duties," she protested, a frown evident on her voice. All right, fine, Hermione was with Draco almost every night in their bench while talking about this and that. Even though she knew that curfew was up, she would sometimes beg Draco for both of them to just stay at the bench for a little longer.

Hermione's frown, though, suddenly deepened. These past few days, she was spending lesser time with Draco. Hell, he was spending lesser time with them. And his reason? His girlfriends. He was not a two-timer or something but… he was just fast. The brunette knew that he was all grown up and raging testosterones were inside his body but it made her quite mad (and she didn't know why) to know that if he broke up with a girl, he would easily find someone else. And thus, branding him as the heartthrob of the whole school since girls were practically swooning and sighing dreamily whenever he was in sight. _'My God, what a jerk,' _the brunette said, clenching her hands into fists.

The brunette wouldn't deny the fact that her best friend was actually good-looking at the very start of their seventh year. Merlin, she wouldn't deny the fact that he was absolutely handsome on the very first time she laid eyes on him. But he was abusing it, making the brunette really angry. He practically dated every single girl in Hogwarts right now!

And you see, Hermione was not jealous. She was not. She really was not.

The trio walked quietly once they were nearing the Heads' Dormitory.

"So, _friendly _meetings, huh?" Harry asked with humor evident on both of his eyes once they were in front of the entrance of the Heads' Dormitory.

Hermione and Ron both glared at the dark-haired young man, only making him laugh.

"Okay, okay," he said. He then turned ton Ron. "Now, come on, mate. Let's go back to our dormitory and take a goodnight… I mean good afternoon rest."

Ron just chuckled and smiled at Hermione. "See you later," he said, ears bright red because of embarrassment.

The brunette tried her best not to frown. Instead, she forced a small smile on her face. "Yeah, see you," she said. Harry gave her a wave before he and Ron walked away from her.

Hermione shook her head and looked at the portrait guarding their dormitory. The portrait contained of an angel surrounded by white, fluffy clouds. The angel was adorably cute, in Hermione's opinion. She probably was aged five-years-old. Her halo always glowed every time Hermione came into view. The little angel once told her that she liked her, making the brunette slightly flattered. Her wings were moving now as she gazed at brunette with admiration.

"Password?" she asked, her voice little, sweet, and soft.

"_Faith, Trust, Pixie Dust_," the brunette answered her. The little angel smiled brightly at her before giving her access to the Heads' Dormitory. Hermione thanked her before walking inside the Heads' Dormitory, a small smile evident on her face.

And then, she halted.

Her eyes widened, her jaw dropped, her heartbeat quickened, and her face turned bright red. _'How dare him! How dare him! How dare him!' _the brunette screamed inside her mind as she walked out of the Dormitory again. The little angel looked at her in concern.

"Is everything all right?" she asked.

"Yes, yes, fine," the brunette answered her quite distractedly as she walked away from the Heads' Dormitory. _'How dare him! How dare him! HOW DARE HIM!' _the brunette continued screaming inside her mind as she blindly walked ahead, not minding where she was going. All that was in her mind right now was that bloody _image_. That image that Hermione knew would forever haunt her wherever she goes or whatever she does.

The Gryffindor Head Girl ran a hand through her hair because of frustration as she pressed her other hand against her throbbing forehead. "Why the bloody burning hell is that girl with him right now?!" the brunette shrieked aloud, attracting the attention of some of the portraits. Inside the Heads' Dormitory, Hermione had seen a scene mostly seen in movies… horrible horror movies.

She had seen, much to her disgust, Draco kissing his newest girlfriend on one of their couches. _'What was her name? Was it Sandra? No, no. Hmm… Sally? Wait, Sophie? Ah, I know, Son of a -." _The brunette didn't continue her thought, not wanting to curse right now, even in her mind. _'I mean Daughter, though,' _she added as an afterthought. Why the bloody, burning hell did Draco bring his woman inside their own Dormitory and kissed her senseless. Didn't he know that maybe she would come inside and might had seen them making out.

Hermione pursed her lips until it was formed into a thin line. Her eyes were stinging and she didn't even know why! The brunette bowed her head and glared at the cold, stone floor. Her hands were tightly clenched into fists, her knuckles turning pale white. She was angry… very, very angry. The brunette then buried her head on both of her hands and released a groan. She didn't know why she was angry but when Draco's look while he was kissing his girlfriend flashed back into her eyes, her chest roared in extreme anger. _'Stupid, stupid, stupid,' _she repeated again and again in her mind.

Suddenly, Hermione bumped into someone. She looked up and was surprised to see Harry and Ron looking down at her with concern evident in their eyes.

"Hey, I thought you're going inside your Dormitory," Harry said, frowning because of curiosity.

"Are you all right, Hermione?" the redhead asked, frowning, too.

"I'm fine," the brunette answered them flatly. Luckily, the stinging sensation in her eyes completely disappeared.

"OI!"

Harry and Ron turned around and beamed at the approaching blond. Hermione, in the other hand, refused to look at him. Instead, she stared straight ahead. Once the three were beside her again, she announced, "I'm going to the library."

"Oh," Ron said. "I can go with you. Do you want that?"

"No, don't bother," she muttered before walking away from the males.

"What's gotten into her?" Draco asked, burrowing his eyes in confusion as he looked from Harry to Ron.

"Well, actually, she just - ." Harry abruptly stopped as his eyes widened.

"She just what, Harry?" the blond asked.

Harry only chose to be quiet. He pursed his lip and glared at the blond.

"What did I do now?" the Slytherin asked.

The dark-haired boy only shook his head. "You're hopeless," he said before turning around. "I'm going to follow Hermione, Ron. Don't follow me."

Once Harry was out of sight, Draco looked at Ron. "Did I do something wrong?" he asked.

Ron shrugged. And then, his eyes widened and released a soft whistle. "Woah, mate, is that a… hickey?" he asked, an impish smile growing on his face.

Draco's eyes widened and looked down at his neck. And indeed, a hickey was there. The blond said colorful curses before he walked away from Ron, probably thinking of a way to conceal it.

The redhead just shook his head and yawned. He walked back to the Gryffindor Common Room, now wanting his good afternoon rest.

**Meanwhile…**

So, Harry was following Hermione closely behind. He didn't know if the brunette already noticed her or not.

The reason why Hermione was upset was quite a mystery to The-Boy-Who-Lived, though, he had a wild guess and he hoped that that was the real reason.

"Harry, stop following me, please," Hermione said as she abruptly stopped. Harry stopped, too, and gazed at the Head Girl. He noticed the humor in the brunette's eyes and smiled. Though, something in her eyes was marring her happiness and that made Harry's smile disappear.

Harry sighed and brought back his smile on his face. "Are you quite all right, Hermione?" he asked as they neared the entrance door of the Hogwarts library.

"Never been better," she told him, though Harry noticed her lack of enthusiasm.

The dark-haired young man sighed again and shook his head. "You know what, Hermione?" he started. The brunette stopped walking and slowly looked at the Gryffindor. "Go get a life."

Hermione frowned. "What are you talking about, Harry?" she asked him. "I have a life. And I love my life. I don't need to get another life."

Harry rolled his eyes. "I've already known you for seven years, Hermione, and most of the time, I see your head buried behind your precious books," he pointed out.

"Are you insulting me or what?" the brunette demanded, placing both of her hands against her hips in a scary manner.

"Go get a boyfriend," he simply answered her.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I don't need a boy to bother me, thank you very much," she snapped back. "I already have the three of you. Why bother in finding another man to pester me about boyish things? I'm better off as a single young woman, Harry. I feel freer and more comfortable."

He shook his head. "No, listen to me, Hermione," he continued. "Have you ever looked at the mirror ever since the start of the school-year and actually saw your own reflection?"

Hermione's frown deepened at his question. "I just looked at the mirror this morning," she said slowly, not really sure if she was answering him right.

Harry sighed and ran his hand through his hair, only making it messier than ever. "What I meant to say is this, Hermione," he started, looking at the brunette straight at her eyes. "You are so damn beautiful now, do you know that?" Hermione blushed and averted her eyes away from Harry. "Did you ever notice how guys turn their heads every time you pass them by? Did you ever notice how girls eyed you enviously?"

"Err…" she stuttered, rubbing her cheeks to cool them down.

"See, Hermione, a lot of guys wants you," he told her. "Well, of course, except for me. I already want _another _girl."

The brunette looked back at Harry and smiled. She was glad that he and Ginny got back together a month after the new school-year started.

"And I know this particular guy," he continued, picturing the blond Slytherin in his mind, "who is so in love with you ever since our fourth year started."

Hermione sighed. "I think I already figured that out, Harry, thanks," she told him.

Harry frowned. _'Did Draco already tell her?' _he asked himself in confusion. What made him more confused was the fact that they never got together since he had a suspicion that Hermione was feeling the same way for Draco. "Really?" he asked, making his confusion evident.

The brunette sighed again. "Ron's not in love with me, Harry," she told him. "What he feels for me is merely a silly crush. He'll get over me as soon as possible."

Harry blinked several times. "What?" he asked. He was now more confused.

Hermione ran a hand through her hair endearingly. "You're talking about Ron, aren't you?" she asked him, also confused.

The male Gryffindor shook his head. "No, no," he told her. "He likes you, obviously. But this guy I'm talking about is annoyingly keeping his feelings inside his system. I don't even know when he will finally have the courage to ask you out when he's obviously dying to be with you."

The brunette frowned. "You know him?"

"Yeah."

Hermione leaned slightly closer to Harry. "Then please tell me who he is so that I can kick his butt for waiting for so long," she said in a low whisper.

Harry burst into laughter as he stared at Hermione disbelievingly. And actually, he really thought that Draco needed to be kicked so that he would come into senses immediately and discover that a lot of guys were his rivals. He shook his head and sighed. "I can't tell you who he is, Hermione," he told her. "He will kill me if he discovered that I'm the one who told you. And besides" – he scratched the back of his head – "he's quite taken right now."

The brunette frowned. "Then tell my bloody secret admirer to burn in hell." And with that, she went inside the library, leaving Harry all alone to himself.

The male Gryffindor then shook his head and cracked the knuckles of his right hand. Someone needs to be punched for being a damn coward. And of course, he would tell Draco Malfoy to really burn in hell right now.

**

* * *

**"Hey," Draco smiled as he immediately recognized the brunette seated on their favorite bench. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon and some of the students in Hogwarts were still sleeping in.

Hermione looked up and frowned. Honestly, she was not in the mood to talk to him now. She averted her eyes away from him and just stared at the Giant Squid, as if making an impression that she'd rather watch the sea creature than the blond staring down at her.

Draco frowned, too. He wasn't blind. He caught the frown she flashed at him. Normally, whenever he would come to their bench and greet her, she would greet back and flash him the brilliant, crooked smile he loved so much. But right now, her reaction towards his arrival made him confused (and slightly scared, honestly).

The blond then sat down on the bench beside her. Again, sensing her annoyance, he left a wide space between the two of them which he wouldn't do since he wanted to be close to her as much as possible.

Silence first was heard around the two of them, except for the splashing of water made by the Giant Squid. Draco was thinking… contemplating at what had happened to him ever since their school-year started. He had to admit, he was having a good time. It made him feel good to know that a lot of girls were dying to date him. It made him feel good to know that he was branded as the newest heartthrob of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was not being proud or the likes, but he knew he was kind of good-looking this school-year. Just look at the girls every time he passed them by. That would be a good proof.

And so, since he was a curious, growing seventeen-year-old, Draco experimented. He went out with some girls – ranging from fifth year to seventh year. He didn't like dating fourth year girls and below (though he knew some were so in love with him, too). He thought that they were too young for his own liking.

But of course, there would always be one girl in his heart. Always and forever. It wouldn't change. He was completely in love with Hermione Granger already (who, he had pointedly noticed at the start of the school-year, was absolutely more breath-taking than the other years) to the point that it would be hard to just throw his feelings out of the window.

But again, Draco was no Gryffindor. He was still a Slytherin even if he despised his housemates. And so, as much as he wanted to deny it, he was a total coward. He couldn't understand why every time he asked a girl out, it would be a piece of cake for him since he was confident that they would immediately agree to date him. But Hermione was different… absolutely different. She had been his best friend ever since he started studying in Hogwarts. Honestly, his friendship with the other three, especially with the Head Girl, was his most prized possession right now. Their friendship was something special and it would completely change his entire life if it broke.

There were actually two reasons why Draco didn't like to ask out Hermione (even if that was what he had wanted ever since fourth year). First, he was afraid that all Hermione felt for him was mere friendship. He was still a guy. He didn't want to hurt his ego if the brunette turned him down and tell him that her reason was that she only love him as a friend (or as a sister). And of course, he didn't want to break their beautiful camaraderie just because of the words 'I love you' and not platonically speaking.

And secondly, he knew that Ron was completely head over heels with the brunette. Draco wasn't blind at all. His vision was still clear… 20-20. He knew that most of the guys in Hogwarts were falling in love with Hermione Granger since she was gorgeous and all. And in actuality, that made Draco quite alarmed, knowing that he had a lot of rivals in this school. Including one of his best friends, Ron Weasley. Ron was his best friend, too, so that was why he didn't want to hurt him. He had seen how Ron looked at Hermione. He knew that he sometimes looked at Hermione like that but, since he had a queer ability of masking his feelings, the looks weren't really obvious (except for Harry since he already knew how he truly felt for the brunette). And he was afraid that if he dated Hermione, Ron would be forever angry with him. And he didn't want that.

The blond released a soft sigh and closed his eyes. Sometimes, he really just wanted to break up with his girlfriends and just confess to Hermione that all he wanted was her and no one else. Draco rubbed his right cheek, still feeling Harry's punch last week. He really didn't know why he punched him but the blond had a good guess it was because of the bloody hickey on his neck. Draco really appreciated the fact that Harry wanted him for their Hermione but sometimes, he was being way overboard.

Draco then looked at the brunette at the corner of his eyes, watching as her hair billowed against her face. He watched her. She was so endearing… enchanting and the blond didn't have enough strength to avert his gaze away from her.

When her eyes met his, he immediately looked at his lap and slowly blushed. The blond sighed. He discovered a few months before that Hermione was the only girl in the whole school that could make him feel like that. He tried it with his other girlfriends… staring at their eyes and waiting for himself to blush scarlet. But, it never happened. And that made Draco frustrated. The only reason why he dated the other girls were, as what he had thought a while ago, to experiment, to avert his attentions away from Hermione, and to find someone who at least made him feel like he was looking at the brunette herself. But alas, the quest was a futile one. He never found anyone just like his dear Hermione. And that had made him frustrated. It seemed like she was really one and only.

The blond closed his eyes again and breathed deeply. _'Hermione past,' _he started in his mind. _'What should I do now?' _Draco then slowly opened his eyes and pulled Mr. Beady out from his jacket. He then slowly looked at Hermione, gripping Mr. Beady tightly. "We… missed you," he whispered. He watched as the brunette slowly looked at him, raising one, brown eyebrow.

"Well, we always see each other, Draco," she said flatly. "There's no point in missing me."

Draco frowned. Of course he knew that! But… these past few months, he had thought that he was spending lesser time with his best friends, especially with Hermione. His girlfriends were quite demanding, actually. They always wanted him to have time for them, making it quite impossible to at least greet his best friends 'hi' or 'goodnight'.

"I know that," came his simple answer. "But…"

"Your spending lesser time with me, I know that," she said (quite tersely, in Draco's opinion) and looked back at the Hogwarts Lake.

The blond sighed. He didn't know why but… Hermione started to be quite distant, too. "I'm sorry," he said. "It's just that…"

"You have girlfriends, I know that, too," she continued for him. And again, she said it quite tersely.

Draco frowned. "Is there a problem, Hermione?" he asked. "You're acting quite… mad at me. Did I do something wrong?"

"Nothing," she abruptly said, voice as cold as ice, making Draco slightly shiver. Then suddenly, she stood up and walked away from Draco. "I'll be going to the library, Draco. See you later."

The blond's frown deepened as he, too, mimicked Hermione's actions and stood up. "You're giving me the impression that you'd rather spend time with your precious books than with me, Hermione," he said, making his slight irritation obvious.

Hermione spun around and slightly glared at him. "Well, Draco Malfoy, you're giving me the impression that you'd rather spend time with your girlfriends than with your best friends," she said and then spun around again.

Draco ran and gripped her arm, forcing her to look at him.

"What?" she asked, her irritation blaringly obvious.

The Head Boy sighed and retrieved his hand away from the brunette's arm. And then, he gripped Mr. Beady with both of his hands and raised him. "Mr. Beady wants to sleep with you tonight, Hermione," he started, a hopeful look on both of his eyes. "He kept on pestering me, you know. He wouldn't let me go to sleep. Can he sleep with you tonight?"

All right, fine, Draco was acting quite childish. But those thoughts quickly disappeared once he saw the brunette's small smile.

"All right," she said, gently snatching Mr. Beady away from him. She pressed him against her chest and kissed the top of his head.

Draco returned back her smile. This was what he had missed. Little moments with Hermione which really meant everything to him. And then, surprising her greatly, he pulled her into a big hug, hugging her as tight as possible. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'm sorry for not spending more time with you."

Hermione slowly looked at him, her small smile still plastered on her face. "It's all right," she said, though Draco knew it wasn't all right at all judging from her reaction a while ago. "I know you're… quite busy with your personal life to hang out with us… me."

"Want me to walk with you 'til the library?" he asked with another hopeful look on his face.

Hermione shook her head and broke free from Draco's hug. "Your girlfriend might see us and suspect something," she told him and then turned around. She started to walk away from Draco, Mr. Beady tightly clutched against her chest.

Draco blinked. Right now, screw his bloody girlfriend! All he wanted right now was to spend time with Hermione. He ran towards her until he was beside her. She looked up, surprised. "Your girlfriend - ."

"I don't care," Draco had immediately cut her off. "I'll come with you."

The brunette blinked three times and then a bigger smile started to grow on her face. "Okay."

The blond sighed in relief as he returned her smile.

**

* * *

**"YOU ARE WHAT?!" Draco bellowed as he trailed behind Hermione followed by a frowning Harry Potter. They had arrived back in their bench, now with Harry actually seeing it for the first time.

"So, here's where you always meet up, huh?" The-Boy-Who-Lived asked, looking around. And he had to admit, their meeting place was a pretty good place, and he dared say it, it was a pretty romantic spot in Hogwarts. Harry's eyes then focused on Hermione and his frown went back into his face. He then averted his eyes towards the fuming blond and his frown deepened. He shook his head. _'They're really a hopeless case,' _he thought.

"Not important, Potter!" the blond exclaimed, glaring eyes still trained on the brunette with a stubborn look on her face. "Now, repeat it again, Granger. You are what?!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Seriously, Draco, you're overreacting!" she answered back in exclamation. She matched his glare and softly hissed, "It's just Ron so, get over it!"

"No, Granger, I will not get over it!" he shouted, eyes blazing because of pure fury. "Now, again, repeat what you had said a while ago."

The brunette crossed her arms against her chest and looked at the Giant Squid. "I'm Ron's new girlfriend," she said, averting her eyes away from the Giant Squid back to the enraged blond. "There, I repeated it. Are you happy now?"

Draco growled. Fine, he knew he was kind of overreacting. He always had a feeling… he always knew that if Ron someday asked Hermione out, she would instantly say yes without hesitation. But now that it happened… now that Hermione had told him… now that the brunette… _his beloved _brunette belonged to someone else, Draco practically was seeing red. Everything was red. He was livid, absolutely livid. "But Hermione!"

"What?!" she exclaimed, also enraged already. "Aren't you happy that I _finally _found someone who loves me, Draco Malfoy?!"

The blond's jaw dropped. He couldn't believe this girl in front of him. "_You _told me that he merely likes you, Hermione! _You _told me that all he felt for you was a silly crush!" he exclaimed.

The brunette looked away from him again and stared at nowhere. "I was proven wrong," she spat. "So what?"

"So what?! SO BLOODY WHAT?!" Draco hollered, practically tearing his hair from his scalp already. "This is a serious matter, Hermione!"

Hermione scoffed. "You're making it sound like I'm dating Lord Voldemort himself!" she exclaimed, eyes trained now on the Head Boy. "I'm dating Ron, Draco! God, he's your best friend, too, you bloody, bumbling idiot! You know him and you know that he can't… won't hurt me at all!"

Draco groaned so loud. "But Granger!" he shouted, almost classified as a whine. Hermione rolled her eyes at his childishness. "You're still… you're still…" he spluttered, arms wildly gesticulating in the air. "You're still… young!" Okay, his last comment was pretty lame.

The brunette's jaw dropped. "EXCUSE ME!" she exclaimed so loud, not failing to notice Draco's and Harry's flinch. "Young?! You call me young! We're both seventeen, for heaven's sake, Malfoy! And you had a lot of girlfriends before! And you're acting like… acting like _my father _and telling me I'm too young to enter into a relationship when _you _yourself already had a lot of bloody dogs trailing you around all day!"

"But… but that's different!" Draco said desperately. He shot Harry a look that said 'help me here, you bloody idiot!' but all he got from the male Gryffindor was a glare and a shook of his head. "I'm a… I'm a guy! And you're a girl!"

Hermione uncrossed her arms and placed both of her hands against her hips. "What's that supposed to me?!" she asked, really, really enraged now.

Draco didn't answer her. Instead, he clenched his hands tightly into fists until his knuckles turned pale white.

"You know what?" the brunette continued, eyes stinging. "Just go back to your bloody female dogs (**A/N: You know what I mean. Wink Wink**) and leave me alone!" And with that, she stormed away from their bench towards the inside of the warm Hogwarts castle.

Once she was out of sight, Draco collapsed on the bench and buried his head on his hands. "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! STUPID!" he exclaimed again and again.

Harry, after witnessing that scene (an interesting one, in his opinion), approached the blond and whacked the back of his head.

Draco lifted up his head and glared at the male Gryffindor. "Why the hell did you do that?!" he bellowed. "Just leave me alone, Potter."

The-Boy-Who-Lived sighed and sat down beside the fuming blond. He had a lot of problems. That was a fact. He needed to find all the Horcruxes. He needed to discover as soon as possible who were the people he should trust or the people he should not. He needed to muster all of his strength to, finally, defeat Lord Voldemort.

But his best friends' problem was too much for him to bear. He had to do something just to bring them together. What if their feelings could help him in the near future? Nobody knows.

Harry sighed. "See, Draco, you should have made your first move earlier," the Gryffindor said, shaking his head as he looked at the disgruntled Slytherin. "You had a lot of opportunities before, Malfoy. Now… you screwed it."

"Shut up," he hissed. "You're not helping at all, Potter."

"Now that Hermione is happy with Ron," he continued, "you can't do anything anymore, Draco. Just… try to be happy with your female dogs."

"I said shut the hell up, Potter!" he bellowed, glaring at the Gryffindor. Harry, though, wasn't affected at all.

"Poor, poor Draco Malfoy," Harry taunted, not bothering to extinguish the burning fire in front of him.

"Potter, if you opened that big, fat mouth of yours one more time," the blond threatened, eyes narrowed into thin slits. "Just one more time, I'm going to beat the daylights out of you."

Harry raised both of his arms in the air, surrendering. "Okay, okay, no need to be so pissed off," the Gryffindor said. Harry sighed again and shook his head. "I'm going to say something interesting, Draco. Do you want me to continue?"

"Piss off," he hissed, glaring at the Giant Squid.

"Come on, this will interest you," Harry pleaded. "It involves Hermione's feelings, Malfoy."

Draco sighed. "Fine," he grunted, covering his eyes with his hands in a distressed manner.

"You see, Draco," the Gryffindor started, leaning his head at the back of the bench. "Hermione's relationship with Ron won't last at all. Trust me."

The blond glared at Harry in between his fingers. "Well, you heard her, Harry," he said. "And you just bloody told me that she's happy with Weasley!"

"I was just teasing you, all right," Harry said while rolling his eyes. "As I was saying, Hermione's relationship won't last at all. I have a great feeling that it will end… hmm… let me say, after a week? Because you see, Hermione's eyes are set on someone else already."

Now, Draco really did look quite interested. His eyes stared at Harry in wonder. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Harry gave him a small smile. "I'm not really a love expert, Draco," he said. "But, I have a great feeling that Hermione's in love with you, too."

"Stop it, Potter," Draco suddenly said. "Stop giving me false hopes."

The-Boy-Who-Lived shook his head. "I'm not giving you false hopes," he protested. Harry sighed. "Look, Draco, please, for the love of all those who are in love right now, do something now. I already have four eyes, Draco (humor was evident in his eyes when he said this) and I'm not blind. I'm still a guy and I find Hermione absolutely gorgeous. So you see, I'm warning you, if you don't do something as soon as possible, you might loss her forever with some bloke out there."

Draco ran a hand through his hair. "It's not that easy, Harry," he groaned. "I've been her best friend for seven years already. What if she doesn't love me back?"

"Nonsense," Harry said followed by a dismissive wave of his hand. The Gryffindor patted the blond's shoulder and stood up. "You've been best friends with three Gryffindors, Draco. I hope some of our bravery rubbed into you." And with that, Harry left the blond all alone as he contemplated all the things that Harry had told him.

**

* * *

**Hermione sighed as she closed her eyes and leaned her head against the bench. Last week was a very, very, very long and tiring one. She wished that those days never happened at all since they were practically a nightmare to her! She buried her head on both of her hands and groaned. She couldn't forget the expression Ron made after she had broke everything off with him. It was just that as the days passed by, the brunette already felt that their relationship wouldn't last for a very long time. Actually, she always knew that their relationship wouldn't last. The reason why she agreed to be his girlfriend? The brunette had no clue at all.

But, oh Merlin, the look on his face… the way his ears and then his face turned red when she had to break everything with him, that broke Hermione's feminine heart. Of course, she didn't want to continue their relationship anymore. It was just that… she knew, she always knew that Ron's feelings for her were truly just a silly crush and not the one that Hermione dreamed of ever since she was a little girl. But of course, Ron was her best friend. She had seen him freak-out when she told him she didn't want to be his girlfriend anymore even though their relationship only lasted for exactly one week. She had seen the hurt expression on his face as he questioned her reason. And she didn't want to see that. Ron was still her best friend. She didn't want to see him hurt.

And so now, the brunette was contemplating on their bench, thinking if what she really had done was the right one. She had hesitated at first, knowing the effects of their break-up in their friendship (including the awkward moments hither and thither). But Hermione didn't want to continue it. Yes, Ron had this silly crush on her but she knew that there would be a big possibility that he would really fall in love with her. And Hermione didn't want that, either. Because in her heart, in her mind, and in her soul, she knew that _fate _didn't want her to be with Ron. She knew that somewhere… just anywhere, there was this man who really was the perfect guy for her. She knew that somewhere… just anywhere, there was this man whom _fate _wanted her to end up with.

And actually, she was tired of waiting for him already. Quite tired, to be honest. She had this huge feeling that she would end up with no one. And that scared Hermione, not wanting to be a silly, lonely, old spinster!

The Head Girl sighed again, face still covered with her hands. Truly, last week was a very, very tiring one.

"Hey."

Hermione frowned, not lifting her face away from her hands. Of course she knew who her intruder was. She didn't have to have to lift her head to face him, anyway. _'I thought he refuses to talk to me,' _the brunette thought, slowly removing her hands away from her face as she looked at Draco. "Malfoy," she said, her frown deepening.

Draco sighed and sat down beside her, this time though, leaving a smaller gap between the two of them. "Okay, fine, I admit, I was wrong," he said, a frown evident on his face.

"Forget it," Hermione muttered, refusing to stare at the blond. "Just… forget it."

The blond's frown deepened. It wasn't typical Hermione. He knew that she would still throw back some witty comments. But right now, it confused him to see that Hermione was so… just not herself. "Is there something wrong?" he asked softly.

Hermione sighed and looked at her clenched fists on her lap. "Honestly… yes," she answered him in a whisper also.

A look of worry crossed on the blond's face. "Did someone hurt you?" he asked, worry evident in the tone of his voice.

The brunette shook her head. "It's quite the other way around," she answered back.

Draco's frown returned on his face. "What do you mean, Hermione?" he asked.

Hermione sighed again and slowly looked at the blond. "I have news for you, Draco, and I know that you will be _glad _once you heard it," she told him.

The blond just stared back at her, quite confused.

"Haven't you heard the news?" she asked him. She seriously thought that a few minutes after her break-up with Ron, the news would spread like a wildfire in the forest. "I broke up with Ron."

The blond's eyes widened. His jaw slowly dropped. "You… you… you…" he stuttered.

"I broke up with Ron," she repeated, eyes now gazing on the grass.

Since Hermione wasn't looking, a wide grin broke on the blond's face. _'YES!' _he exclaimed inside his mind. Huge hope was now evident on both of his eyes. He was not happy, actually. He was bloody ecstatic! He knew it! He knew it! Hermione's relationship with Ron wouldn't last at all. The blond thanked all the angels in heaven. The blond thanked Merlin and the other great wizards who made a mark in the history of the Wizarding World since now, his beloved was a single and free young woman. He had no idea, though, if she was available.

"Now, go on, laugh at me and tell me 'I told you so'," the brunette repeated, eyes still gazing on the green grass.

And for some weird reason, that made Draco's smile fall. For some weird reason, he felt guilty for even thinking that that news was the greatest one he had ever heard in his whole life. For some weird reason, he became ashamed of himself for even thinking that that news wasn't bad at all. "I… I'm sorry," he apologized, eyes staring at the ground because of shame, too.

To his utter surprise, Hermione softly chuckled. He looked up with a frown on his face, confusion evident on his pale, handsome face. "What?" he asked.

"Do you know that you apologized to me for countless times, Draco?" she asked with a small smile on her face.

Draco pursed his lips and didn't answer her back. He knew… he knew she was right. He had apologized to her many, many times already and it was because he had always hurt her. A frown now was plastered on his face. All these years, he tried his very best to always make Hermione Granger happy. But, as much as he tried to avoid it, most of the time, he hurt her. The blond released a rueful sigh. Truthfully, he was sorry.

"I just don't get you, Draco," Hermione continued, making Draco to look at her with a questioning look on his face. "Sometimes, you do things that frustrate me or… or… angers me (she pointedly noticed the frown on his face) but then, sometimes… no, _most of the time_, you are the only one who has the ability to really comfort me." She released a small chuckle again and then released a long sigh. "After all these years, you're still a mystery to me, Draco Malfoy. You know what? I have a feeling that you're hiding a huge secret from me."

The blond blushed scarlet even if he tried not to. _'Okay, try not to be too obvious, Draco,' _he scolded himself, trying to find his face away from the brunette. He cleared his throat, trying to compose himself. Once he knew that he returned back to his pale white color, he looked back at Hermione with a small smile on his face. "Don't you love a mystery?" he asked her.

Hermione grinned back. "Yes, I love a mystery," she answered him back.

Silence then followed. Both teenagers watched the Giant Squid gliding across the water, oblivious to the fact that the two students he loved to observe were the ones who were now observing him. Draco and Hermione knew that their little quarrel last week was forgotten already. No more hard feelings.

"So…" the brunette started, breaking the peaceful silence. Draco lifted up his head and looked at her, his smile not yet leaving his face. "Do you still think I'm too young for a relationship?" When Draco scowled, Hermione released a soft laugh. "Come on, Draco, that _witty comeback _of yours was really hilarious." The brunette gave him a big smile and continued, "You see, quite honestly, I'm practically more matured than you."

Draco stuck out his tongue immaturely, making the brunette laugh again.

"Thanks for proving my point," she said.

The blond smiled back.

"But seriously, Draco, tell me the truth," Hermione said. "Why did you freak out when you discovered that I'm going out with Ron?"

Draco gulped. _'Uh-oh,' _the blond thought as he looked at the brunette with a panicked look on his face. "I… uh…" he started, stupidly stuttering. Hermione eyed him suspiciously, blinking at his uneasiness. "You see… I…" – he cleared his throat – "I was just… I was just feeling like your older brother! Yes, that's right! You're older brother. I kinda… felt slightly overprotective."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "More like my real father," she muttered, not failing to catch Draco's glare. She then looked at him with narrowed eyes. "So… you think Ron's dangerous and you don't want me to get hurt?"

The blond frowned. "I didn't say that," he said, annoyed.

"Well, you're implying it, Draco," the brunette said. She sighed and then looked at the Giant Squid again. "Look, Draco, the reason why I broke up with Ron is because, fine, you are right, he does not love me at all." She then looked down at the grass and watched as a long line of ant scrambled back to their ant hill with some glorious food. "Ron got pretty hurt when I broke up with him," she continued, "but I know that in the end, our relationship won't work at all. So, even if we just started the relationship last week, I decided to end it already." Hermione pursed her lips and looked up at Draco. "So, there."

Draco didn't know what to say. He blinked for several times before averting his eyes away from the brunette. Instead, he looked at the grass again, aware of the holes Hermione was burning on his head already. "I'm sorry," was what he only answered her.

The brunette softly laughed. "See, you're apologizing again," she pointed out.

The blond didn't smile at all. Instead, he gently grabbed the brunette's right hand and slowly looked at the brunette. Hermione stared back at him, surprised at his sudden action. "No, seriously," he continued. "I'm very sorry."

Hermione only frowned.

"I… I mean," he slightly stuttered. "I didn't mean to… to scold you like that when you became Ron's girlfriend. I don't really have the right to." He paused and released a long sigh. "But, I don't know, I just kind of got a feeling of overprotection."

The brunette sighed. "Draco…"

"I know, I know," he said, cutting her off of her sentence. "You're a big girl now. You don't need any protection at all." Draco squeezed her hand lightly. "That's not the only reason why I'm apologizing to you."

Hermione looked confused. "What else?"

"For… for spending lesser time with you," he continued in a soft whisper.

"You already apologized for that, Draco," the brunette said. "You don't need to apologize again since I already forgave you."

The blond shook his head while sighing. "No, no, I know you still haven't," he told her. "Listen to me, Hermione. I'm going to tell you this." He paused as he took a deep breath. "None of my relationships with my past girlfriend were serious so, like your relationship with Ron, I break everything off before it gets too serious to the point that I won't have any escape anymore."

Hermione gasped. "Draco Malfoy, that's horrible!" she scolded him. "Us, girls have feelings too, for your information. What if I told your past girlfriends that you were just snogging them for fun?"

Draco frowned. "Okay, I do that because they weren't really the girl I like," he truthfully said, eyes gazing at the brunette.

The Head Girl frowned. "So, you're hiding a secret from me!" she exclaimed, glaring at the blond.

"It's quite personally, really," he told her quietly. He tightened his hold with her right hand, eyes now meeting the brunette's. "You see, Hermione, there will always be one girl in my heart. Always," he continued in a whisper. "She doesn't know it because I'm a bloody coward."

The brunette softly laughed. "Guess some of our bravery didn't rub into you," she joked, making the blond smile.

"But she'll always be here" – he slowly placed Hermione's right hand against his chest right were his heart was – "in my heart."

A spark of interest ignited in Hermione's eyes. She slightly leaned closer, a small smile on her face. She always wanted to know some secrets. "So, who's this girl?" she asked him in a whisper.

Draco didn't answer at all. He was afraid that if he told him that he was talking about her, she would freak out and forever run away from him. Instead, he just squeezed her hand again and stared back at her.

And suddenly, to his surprise, Hermione's eyes widened. Her cheek started to color and her jaw dropped open. Realization was dawning on Hermione, the blond noticed that. He didn't know, though, if he should be happy or quite scared. "Are you - ."

"THERE YOU ARE!" Ginny screamed after spotting the Head Girl. She approached her with a wide smile. "HERMIONE, PROFESSOR MCGONAGALL IS LO… OH." She blinked at the scene unfolding in front of her. "Oh."

Hermione then looked at her, still red on the face and astonished. She pulled her hand away from Draco's grip and stood up. The Gryffindor then ran past the redhead, not bothering to at least greet her.

Ginny gulped and slightly laughed sheepishly. "Uh-oh," she said as the blond slowly looked at her, his eyes blazing because of pure fury.

"Weaslette, you ruined my chance!" he exclaimed once the brunette was out of sight already. "Nice timing, you bloody girl! Nice timing!"

The redhead softly laughed again and approached the burning fire. "Aww…" she said, gently patting the blond's hair. "Don't be angry with me, Draco. I didn't know."

Draco growled, making the she-Weasley flinch. "You ruined my chance!" he said. "It was my only chance!"

Ginny then grinned widely. _'Ah_,' she thought. "Well, that's good news. You're progressing, do you know that, coward?" And with that, she leaned down and kissed his forehead before waving goodbye.

Ginny then ran back to the castle, a huge smile still seen on her face. _'Harry should know this!' _she excitedly thought.

The next after that incident, Draco Malfoy broke up with his current girlfriend.

**

* * *

**So, now it was official. Draco Malfoy was going out with his co-Head, Hermione Granger. And that fact broke many Hogwarts students' heart. Girls became wild once realizing that their beloved blond Head Boy was totally taken (yet again). Boys became wild once realizing that their gorgeous Head Girl was totally taken by the heartthrob of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

This new couple was the latest hottest gossip in the whole school. Even teachers and portraits were quite amused about this sudden relationship between these two best friends.

Harry was pleased… absolutely pleased. Finally, Draco mustered up all his courage and confessed what he truly felt. He didn't know how Hermione discovered but The-Boy-Who-Lived had a small guess that it happened a few minutes before Draco arrived in his party for winning the Quidditch Game. He noticed that both students walked inside the Heads' Dormitory, dripping wet, but they looked like they weren't bothered at all since their cheeks were flushed, their eyes were shining bright, and there were big, wide smiles plastered on both of their faces. The next day, they just announced it. And Harry was glad that Draco wasn't too late since Hermione accepted him, thank Merlin Almighty.

Ron was surprised, actually, when he discovered this news. But again, surprisingly, that didn't bother him at all. Actually, he got over Hermione already three days after their break-up. And the most surprising of all, he started to go out with Luna Lovegood (well, some students liked to call her Loony). His friends had no idea how these two became a couple but all they knew was that they had never seen Ron so happy before. As for Draco and Hermione having a relationship more than friendship, Ron didn't mind and even congratulated them!

Now, the Head Boy was absolutely blissful. The moment he always dreamed of finally came true. He didn't mind that every time he passed by some students, he would hear whispers from them and knew that they were talking about her. He was quite happy, for the very first time, because finally some people were talking about someone who absolutely made him happy. He had no idea why he just suddenly kissed her in the pouring rain. Sounds cliché and romantic, but Draco did it anyway. And he was glad he did since he got his desired reward.

Now, the Head Girl was absolutely blissful, too. She was glad that the reason why she got angry and all every time she saw Draco with other girls (kissing them or not) was that because she was so jealous. Finally, she got an answer. And, she was glad, too, that Draco became her boyfriend because actually, she was so in love with him.

And so, Draco was seen in the Heads' Dormitory in front of the Head Girl's room, dressed handsomely. They were about to go to a small party in Hogsmeade (The Three Broomsticks, to be exact) to celebrate early Christmas with their other classmates (since they would all go, including Draco, to the Burrow on Christmas).

_Knock. Knock. Knock. _

The blond knocked on the brunette's bedroom door, a frown now evident on his face. He looked at his magical watch hidden beneath his right sleeve and looked at the time. _'We're late,' _he thought, his frown deepening. _'Seriously,' _he thought while shaking his head. "Hermione, are you done?" he asked.

"ALMOST!" the brunette shouted back. Draco cringed when he heard some shattering inside her room.

'_What the hell is happening inside there?' _he asked himself. "Is everything all right there?" he asked.

"Yeah!" he heard her muffled voice.

Draco shook his head. For years, Draco admired the brunette because she would do everything as quick as the speed of light. But right now, she was actually doing the contrary. He had been waiting outside her bedroom door for almost an hour. And do you know what she was doing? Dressing inside for the party. That made Draco confused since Hermione would just choose some random clothes and wear them without bothering how she looked (well, except for the Yule Ball in their fourth year).

The blond's musings were cut off immediately once the door opened and revealed the brunette herself. Draco stared at her face and a small grin started to form. "Is that… is that make up?" he asked her, quirking one eyebrow up.

Hermione blushed. "Erm…" she said, "yeah." Draco stared at her hair then and noticed that it was way tamer than her bushy hair before. A red headband was seen on adorning her silky curls. The blond then sniffed while raising one blond, eyebrow again.

"You smell nice," he complimented her.

Again, the brunette just blushed and grinned at him. "Thanks," she said. "Ginny recommended it."

'_Ah, Weaslette,' _he thought. Draco made a mental note to thank the redhead later. The blond's eyes then traveled down to her clothes and instantly, a frown appeared on his face. "Why are you wearing that?" he asked her.

This time, though, Hermione didn't blush at all. Instead, she frowned. "I'm wearing something not so modest," she explained to him. "That's why I decided to put my school robe above it until we arrive at the Three Broomsticks."

"Not fair," the blond said, almost whining. "I need to see what you look before everyone does." He caught a glimpse of high-heeled red sandals worn by the brunette, making his curiosity grow. "Come on, just a glimpse."

"No," the brunette said as she turned on her heel and walked out of the Heads' Dormitory.

Draco also walked out of the Heads' Dormitory, trailing behind his girlfriend.

As they walked out of the walls of the Hogwarts castle, Draco continued to provoke Hermione to remove her school robe so that he could see what she was wearing.

"Oh, don't be shy!" he exclaimed in frustration. He gestured dramatically around the Hogsmeade. "See, _you _are the only one who's wearing her Gryffindor school robe above her clothes!"

The brunette frowned stubbornly and crossed her arms against her chest. "I don't care," she said. At the corner of her eyes, she could see the suspicious look given to her by the other occupants of Hogsmeade but she pointedly ignored them.

"Please," the blond begged, giving her the most charming smile he could muster.

But, unfortunately, Hermione didn't give in. "No," she said.

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"No."

The brunette smirked at him. "Nice try, Draco Malfoy," she told him while the blond scowled.

"Please," he pleaded for the last time but like what had happened a while ago, Hermione stubbornly refused. The blond looked around. And then, his eyes lit up once they landed on one of his most favorite shop in Hogsmeade, Honeydukes. Draco then, surprising Hermione, suddenly yanked her arm (earning him a shriek from the brunette) and pulled the Head Girl inside the sweets shop.

"Why are we here?" the brunette asked with a frown evident on her face.

Draco just ignored his girlfriend and continued his way towards the very back of the shop. Finally, after both of them arrived at the most secluded area in Honeydukes, the blond stirred Hermione around until her back was resting against the wall. His hands were both placed on her shoulders as he gazed at her, a small, teasing (kind of evil, in Hermione's opinion) smile.

"So, why are we here again?" Hermione asked, trying her best to compose herself under the intense look of the blond Head Boy.

"I'm," he started, his small, teasing (evil) smile growing bigger, "going to give you something."

He then let go of her shoulders. Draco unclasped his necklace (the one containing a pendant of the Malfoy Crest and of course, Hermione past's birthday gift). He removed the ring and showed it to the brunette.

"It's your ring," she said, still admiring at the beautiful ring.

"Yes, it is," he said, smile still plastered on his face. "And I remember that you wanted to have this."

Hermione smiled at him. "Yes," she told him. "I remember."

Draco then held her right hand and kissed her knuckles. His eyes were still gazing at her (adoringly, in Hermione's opinion) and squeezed her hand. "Do you still want to have it?" he asked her a low whisper.

The brunette sighed and stared at the ring. "Yes, I still do," she answered him truthfully. There were times she caught a glimpse of this beautiful ring and just like what she had felt in second year, she still wanted to have it.

"Oh," the blond said again, inserting the ring in one of the brunette's fingers.

"Are you - ."

"Yes," Draco said, now smiling at her widely. "I'm giving it to you now."

Hermione lifted one eyebrow. "But I thought I couldn't have it since it would mean something," she reminded him. "Am I right?"

Draco then held both of her hands. "Seven years ago," he started, "the girl I had met when I was still ten-years-old gave me this ring as her birthday present for me. Of course, it was too sissy for my own liking so I refused to accept it."

"And?"

"She still insisted," he told her, the smile still plastered on his face. "She was too stubborn for her own good." Draco paused as a sigh escaped from his lips. As the Head Girl grew older, she looked more like Hermione past. And of course, that made him fall in love with her more. "And so, I accepted it without any choice. She then made me promise that I would take care of it until…"

"Until what?" Hermione asked, a spark of interest in her eyes.

"Do you want to know the meaning if I gave this to you in our second year?" he asked her.

Hermione nodded, curiosity evident on her face now.

Draco smiled. He knew the brunette would be embarrassed if he told her. "She made me promise that I will give this ring… this beautiful ring… to someone, a girl to be specific, that I know I will love for the rest of my life."

Slowly, the brunette's cheeks burned red. "O-oh," she spluttered, averting her gaze away from her boyfriend. She then released a nervous laugh. "I shouldn't have asked to have that ring in our second year."

The blond then held her chin and lifted it up until her eyes were locked with his again. "See, Hermione," he started. His hand (the one holding her chin) then disappeared among her glorious tresses. "That ring means everything to me." He leaned closer to the brunette and watched as her eyes fluttered close. "This is what I've wanted… what I've always wanted." He leaned closer until their forehead and their noses were touching each other and their lips were a few inches apart. "_You _are _mine _now. And I want that you'll always be mine. Forever and always." And then, he closed the small gap between them as he captured her mouth.

As the kiss happened, like what they had felt on their first and second kiss, sparks formed. Hermione encircled her arms tightly around the blond's neck while tilting her head to her right. Both of Draco's arms then wrapped themselves around her waist, hugging her as tight as possible.

And then, the small, teasing (evil) smile formed on his lips again. His arms then traveled up to her shoulders. Doing his small plan, Draco successfully removed her (annoying) robe away from her body.

Hermione, feeling the sudden coldness, gasped and pushed herself away from their kiss. Still quite flushed, the brunette started to kneel down to retrieve her robe and wear it again. But, Draco stopped her as he held both of her arms and stared at her, eyes wide and mouth ajar.

The brunette sighed. She knew it. She knew that this blond was scheming something evil. _'Err… okay, not really evil,' _the brunette thought. _'Stupid, super sly, and sneaky Slytherin,' _she added and then blinked several times. _'Wow, all the 's',' _she thought as she softly laughed. Her thoughts then were stopped once Draco stupidly opened and closed his mouth, resembling a fish out of water. "Are you all right?" she asked him, genuinely concerned.

"Merlin," he told her as he pulled her again for another kiss. The brunette was absolutely gorgeous. Totally. Her dress apparently was a black, spaghetti-strapped one that ended just a few inches below her knees. Apparently, the brunette vowed that she would never, _ever _wear something that would reveal her knees (even if Ginny kept on complimenting that they were pretty nicer than hers). A red belt was seen wrapped around her face, adorning her black dress. Like what Draco had caught sight a while ago, Hermione was wearing high-heeled red sandals. Again, she was absolutely breath-taking.

Draco then pulled away from their kiss and clutched both of her hands. "Why the bloody hell did you want to hide your dress away from people's sight?" he asked her, demanding an answer.

Hermione frowned. "It's just that… it's not what I really like to wear. I mean, this dress is too short and all. And look, it's a v-neck dress! Thank goodness it's not too revealing," she ranted. "Oh, Ginny forced me to wear this dress! That conniving redhead threatened me that if I didn't wear this, I will never see my first copy of my precious _Hogwarts: A History_ anymore. So I have no choice but to wear this… this ugly dress!"

"Ugly?" the blond gasped in horror. "Are you blind or what, Hermione. Look at you. You are absolutely _gorgeous_."

"Quit flattering me," she muttered, though, blushing again.

Draco grinned. "I must be the luckiest guy in the whole wide world," he continued.

"There you are!" Ron Weasley exclaimed as he trudged toward the place where Draco and Hermione were. "HARRY, I FOUND THEM!" Ron then looked at the two disapprovingly. "I knew it. I knew it. Were you making-out again?"

The brunette blushed redder while the blond glared at the redhead. Harry then suddenly appeared just beside Ron and a look of relief was now seen on his face. "Thank Merlin we finally found both of you," The-Boy-Who-Lived said. "Both of you are the only people who aren't in the party! Why the bloody hell are you here anyway?"

Before Draco or Hermione could answer Harry's question, the said Gryffindor's and his companion's jaws dropped in unison.

"IS THAT YOU, HERMIONE?!" they shouted at the same time. People from the other parts of the shop looked around, surprised at the sudden outburst.

Draco rolled his eyes while Hermione just smiled. "Of course," she told both of them. "The one and only."

Ron grasped Hermione's right hand and looked at her from head to toe. "Merlin, Hermione, if you wore that kind of dresses when we were still dating, I wouldn't have let you break our relationship."

"Hey!" the blond exclaimed, frowning at the male Gryffindor as he pulled Hermione's hand away from Ron's.

The redhead rolled his eyes. "No need to get angry, Draco," he told him as he slung his left arm around the blond.

"Get your arms off my shoulder, Weasley!" the blond exclaimed.

"Yeah," Harry said, slinging his right arm around Draco's shoulders, too as he agreed with what Ron had said. "No need to get angry, Malfoy."

The blond just rolled his eyes as the three of them with Hermione trailing behind them walked out of Honeydukes. The three talked lightly (mostly about Quidditch and of course, girls). "Nice dress robes, Ron," the blond teased. "At least it's not as horrible as your dress robe in fourth year."

Ron glared while Harry and Hermione laughed. The three young men continued to talk while Hermione chose to be silent, observing her three best friends… she meant two best friends and her boyfriend. A smile formed on her lips as she stared with care at the three young men. They were so important to her now. The brunette sighed and looked at the ground. The war would soon start, she greatly felt it. Harry had already destroyed six Horcruxes, meaning, he would only destroy one more Horcrux then he could kill Voldemort already. She knew that Voldemort felt it every time a part of his soul was destroyed. She read it somewhere in a book.

The brunette sighed again as she stared at the ring that was given to her by Draco. Her smile came back on her face as she fingered the beautiful thing. She was glad that after all these years, their friendship grew steady and strong. Goodness, she even became the girlfriend of one of her best friend! She softly laughed and shook her head. At least, even if the war was coming, there were still people who she knew would protect her (especially Draco) until the end.

As the brunette averted her gaze away from her new ring, she was surprised to see that Draco's right hand was trying to find hers. The brunette looked at him. A small smile was plastered on his face and she knew that it was directed to hers.

Hermione grinned and held his searching hand. She shifted her hand until their fingers were entwined together.

When Hermione looked at Draco's face again, his smile reached his ears.

**

* * *

**Draco shifted on his bed. _Again_. There was a huge storm outside the castle, making Hogwarts eerier and scarier. It was not that the blond was afraid or something. It was just that… he was feeling slightly uncomfortable. And, he was feeling that something bad would happen.

The blond sighed and sat up on his bed. He ran a hand through his hair as he slowly stood up and trudged outside his bedroom. A loud thunder followed by a bright lightening was seen once Draco was outside the vicinity of his room, illuminating the whole Heads' Dormitory. Draco walked faster once he was outside his girlfriend's room. He held the doorknob and twisted it. To his pure relief, it wasn't locked but open.

Slowly, he walked inside towards the brunette's bed. A lightning illuminated the skies again, also illuminating the brunette's room. Draco caught glimpse of the brunette and apparently, she was already sleeping. Draco, once beside her bed, knelt down until his face was leveled with hers. The brunette's eyes were closed. A small smile appeared on his face when he saw that Mr. Beady was trapped between the bruentte's arms (it was Hermione's turn in putting Mr. Beady into bed tonight).

"Hermione," he whispered. Hermione, surprised, immediately opened her eyes and looked at the blond. A look of curiosity crossed her face as she stared at him.

"Can I sleep here?" he asked her. The brunette just gave him a smile and scooted to the left, giving the Head Boy some space. Knowing that was a yes, Draco grinned and stood up. He then lied down beside the brunette. Once his head touched the pillow, he wrapped his left arm around the Gryffindor and pulled her closer to him until her back was pressed against him.

The Gryffindor made a small smile and removed her arms around the teddy bear. Instead, she shifted on her bed until she was facing her boyfriend. She wrapped her left arm around him loosely and buried her face against his neck, making the blond smile.

"Hermione," he said again as he ran his hand through her long mane. "I have this bad feeling."

The Head Girl snuggled against his neck. "What bad feeling?" she asked him.

Draco sighed. He kissed her forehead and closed his eyes. "I have no idea," he truthfully told her.

The brunette lifted her face and briefly kissed him straight on the lips. "There's nothing to worry about, Draco," she assured him, this time, kissing his nose.

Draco opened his eyes and stared adoringly at the brunette. A small smile formed on his face when the brunette smiled at him. A contented sigh escaped from the blond's lips. "You know what?" he asked her. "This is a dreaming come true."

"What do you mean?" the brunette asked with a curious look on her face.

"You see, Hermione, in third year, I started to like you," he told her. "And in fourth year, I started to fall in love with you. As we grow older, my feelings grew." Draco sighed. "You kind of distract me, especially now, that was why I went out with other girls, wanting to avert my attention away from you. But unfortunately, my plan didn't happen."

Hermione chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry for distracting you," she told him.

Draco grinned. "So, seriously, this is a dream come true," he told her. "I always wanted to be with you. Not with other girls. Just you… always you. I always dreamed to hug you tight" – he tightened his hug – "which meant something more than friendship. I always dreamed to kiss you" – he briefly kissed her lips – "without knowing that you will punch me after I did it."

The brunette chuckled again and kissed the place where she had punched him on their third year. "Did it really hurt?" she asked him. "I was utterly surprised when I saw that your jaw had bandage the day after I punched you."

The blond's grin widened. "Yes, it did hurt," he told her. "And you actually punch like a man. You know, you should have punched Pucey on his face when he called you that M-word."

Hermione just rolled her eyes.

"Do you know that when I was a child," he continued, "I always wanted to be Peter Pan? I envied him, honestly. I was envious because he won't grow up. I was envious because he got to have these awesome Lost Boys who helped him fight Captain Hook and his men in the Jolly Roger. I was envious because… well… he has Wendy."

The brunette stared at him disbelievingly as thunder rumbled outside their room. "You liked Peter Pan?"

Draco grinned. "Obviously," he told her. "Remember the girl I kept on telling you? The girl who gave me Mr. Beady and that ring you are wearing right now? She was my very first crush. I didn't care that time that I was ten-years-old and she was seventeen-years-old. It was just that… she was so beautiful, like you, of course. And you see, she was my Wendy when I was ten-years-old." He looked at her, this time, with love evident on his eyes. "Now, I'm seventeen-years-old" – he kissed her forehead – "and currently the luckiest man in the whole wide world because I have the most gorgeous and intelligent Wendy. Even Peter Pan will envy me."

Hermione chuckled softly. "Whatever," she told him.

"But it's true!" he protested softly, tightening his hug (if it was still possible).

The brunette just shook her head and buried her head at the crook of his neck again. "You know what, Draco?" she murmured. "This is a dream come true for me, too."

The blond smirked. "I knew it!" he exclaimed softly. "You were dreaming of me, too."

"Egoistical," the brunette told him, punching his arm lightly. "Sorry to burst your bubble, Mr. Every-Girl-Loves-Me-And-I-Love-It, but, you're quite wrong."

Draco's smirk disappeared and he frowned. "How so?" he asked her.

"Well, I always have this dream," she started to explain, eyes now trained on his face. "In this dream, I was there, happy and all. And then, there's this man. I don't know who he was because honestly, his face was kinda blurry. I just realized that you were that man."

"So basically, you were still dreaming about me," he pointed out, now smugly smiling at the brunette.

"Oh, shut up," she told him, though, still grinning.

Draco grinned back. His grin then changed into a loving smile as he continued to stare at the brunette. "You make me happy, do you know that?" he asked her.

Hermione just smiled, telling him that he always made her happy, too. "Guess what?" she whispered. "I discovered something today."

"Really?"

Her smile grew as a small sigh escaped from her lips. "I discovered the reason why you have the ability to make me smile when I'm crying."

Draco grinned. "Go on, tell me," he told her.

"Well…" the brunette said. "I'm not really sure if this really is the reason but…the reason why you have the ability to make me smile when I'm crying is because, well, I'm currently" – she looked up at him – "the most important person in your whole life."

"See, you're intelligent," the blond said. "I know that you will discover it soon."

Hermione smiled. "Just so you know," she told him, "you are currently the most important person in my whole life, too. Well, of course, also my parents and Harry and Ron."

Draco chuckled as he leaned closer. "I know that," he whispered before closing the gap between the two of them. Hermione could feel his hands running through her hair. And, to her slight annoyance, her insides were turning into jelly. Yes, Draco had this weird effect on her. She sighed when he then moved above her, his hands both placed beside her head to support himself and not to crush the brunette below her. Hermione wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled her closer to him.

_BANG. BANG. BANG._

Someone was knocking… banging rather the entrance door of the Heads' Dormitory. Hermione pulled away from their kiss, earning a soft moan of protest from the blond. The Head Girl chuckled as she kissed the blond's forehead. "Someone's impatiently knocking outside," she told him. "Let's go check him who he is."

_BANG. BANG. BANG._

Draco stood up from the brunette's bed and helped her up. "Bloody intruder. Ruined the moment," he grumbled softly to himself. He watched as Hermione grabbed her robe (color red. Typical) and wore it.

_BANG. BANG. BANG._

"All right, all right, we're coming," Draco, already irritated, grabbed Hermione's right hand and together, they walked out of their room.

Draco was the one who opened the entrance door. They were surprised (and Draco showed his annoyance) when they discovered that it was Harry who was impatiently knocking. His look was absolutely horrible. His hair was disheveled and his clothes were askew.

"Harry?" the brunette said, frowning. "Why do you look like that? Did something happen?"

The Head Boy glared. "Yeah, Potter, what the hell are you doing here?" he demanded.

"They're here," he simply said.

Draco rolled his eyes. "We understood it pretty well, Potter, thanks," he sarcastically told him. "Seriously, who are here? Who are they?"

To his astonishment, the brunette gasped and covered her face with both of her hands as she started to sob. "Oh my God, this can't be happening. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God," she cried in her hands.

The Head Boy started to get alarmed. "What? What's happening?!" he exclaimed.

"They're here, Draco," Harry told him again. "Death Eaters are here. Voldemort is here. The war started."

Hermione's cries grew louder as she shook because of fear. The war already started. That was her greatest fear. She couldn't believe that the war already started.

Draco paled noticeably. "All right, Harry, warn the others," he ordered him. "We're going to follow you in just a minute."

Harry nodded and ran, disappearing from their sight.

The blond then faced the brunette. "Okay, Hermione, listen to me," he told her, pulling the crying Head Girl towards his arms. "Don't be afraid, okay? I'm going to watch your back."

"What if something happened to me?" she whispered brokenly. "What if something happened to Harry… or to Ron? What if something to you?! Oh Merlin, I don't want something to happen to you!"

"Shhh…" Draco consoled, kissing her forehead. "Nothing's going to happen to us," he reassured her. "Everything will be all right in the end."

Hermione removed her hands from her face. "How can you be so sure, Draco?" she asked him, fear evident in her eyes.

"I just know," the Slytherin answered her. "Because Harry's in our side. And I believe in him."

The brunette bit her bottom lip.

"Now, go get your wand. Make it quick," he told her as he retrieved his own wand in his secret pocket. He watched as the brunette obeyed him and went to her room.

'_This can't be happening,' _he thought, running a hand through his hair. He knew it. He bloody knew it. He had this feeling that something bad would happen to night. And he was proven right.

Hermione then went back to him, still crying. Draco pulled her into his arms and gave her a quick peck on the lips. "I love you, remember that," he softly murmured to her.

The brunette nodded. "I love you, too," she said.

And with that, they walked out of the Heads' Dormitory to fight for their freedom.

**

* * *

****A/N: So, end of chapter! One more chapter (it's sort of an epilogue) and I'm done. And for the sequel I'm planning to do… I still have no idea if I will make one. HaHa! I'm slightly hesitating, you know. So, I will make a poll in my profile after I posted the last chapter of TU! (maybe next week? I have no idea). **

**I have two trivia, btw. First trivia, remember the "Can I keep you?" that Draco asked Hermione while she was sleeping. Yeah, it's from Casper. And the funny-looking ghost, in Draco's opinion (adorably cute ghost, in Hermione's opinion) is Casper. The second trivia – Remember the password for you to enter their Dormitory ("Faith. Trust. Pixie Dust")? I got it from the movie, Return to Neverland. You know, where Wendy's daughter, Jane, met Peter Pan himself. **

**Anyway, that's all my dear readers. Before I end this Author's Note, I would like to thank all those who read this story and loved it. I would like to say that I appreciated those readers who found time to review this. Your reviews always makes my day, do you know that? I'm quite sad because TU! is about to end. Honestly, this is so far my most favorite story I ever made in my whole life. I couldn't believe that a plot just popped into my mind and I managed to make this into a story I fell in love with. Thanks again, by the way. **

**So, that's all. Review, okay? I love you all. **

**With love,**

**2booklover4 :D**


	16. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: For the sixteenth time, reader of my story, I am not JK Rowling. I do not own her book and also her fabulous characters. **

**A/N: Before anything else, I would like to say that Fred Weasley is alive here because… I SAID SO!**

**Now, here it is, my dear readers, the last chapter of our dear story, Time's Up! I thank all those who supported this. I really appreciate all of you. Anyway, just read this story. :D**

**

* * *

****Finally Fixed**

_May 25, 1998_

Slowly, Hermione opened her eyes. Blinding light greeted her so, to adjust her eyes to the bright light, the Gryffindor brunette blinked her eyes several times.

The brunette released a wide yawn, stretching her arms above her head as she slowly looked around. Hermione noticed that she was in the Hospital Wing since there were a lot of beds lined together. The Gryffindor frowned. She noticed that there were a lot of people lying down on the other beds. Some had bandages wrapped around their body. Some had great injuries while some had minor ones. Hermione's frown deepened. _'Shouldn't there be a war?' _she asked herself.

And then, it had hit her. Hard.

A huge gasp escaped from Hermione's lips. From the looks of it, the war was done. The bloody, sickening, gruesome war was finally done. The Gryffindor's breath hitched. Did they succeed or lose? Did Harry kill Voldemort or the other way around? Did the light side win against the dark side or the other way around? These thoughts were suddenly forgotten once Hermione caught sight of the mass of blond hair. She slowly sat up, her eyes not averting away from the blond.

Hermione bit her bottom lip as she stared at the Slytherin blond, his head buried in his arms as he peacefully slept beside her. The brunette released a huge sigh of relief as she placed her hand above his blond hair. Hermione started to run her right hand through his hair with her eyes closed. _'All right, Hermione. He's fine. Draco's fine,' _she told herself as her worry started to dissipate.

The whole war, all she was thinking about was the safety of all the people she loved who were fighting in the war. Especially this blond Slytherin. It was not that Hermione didn't trust him and all. She knew he was strong. She knew that he could fight back and defend himself. But the worry was still there. She couldn't help but to worry about this particular blond.

Suddenly, the door of the infirmary burst open. Hermione's head snapped up and watched as her other best friends, Harry and Ron, together with their girlfriends, Ginny and Luna Lovegood, came rushing inside the Hospital Wing.

"Is she awake? Is she awake?" Ron asked excitedly, locating Hermione's bed. Once his eyes landed on Hermione's bed, Ron's jaw dropped. "WHAT THE -! SHE'S AWAKE!"

Because of his loud shout, a lot of people in the Hospital Wing snapped awake and looked around wildly, finding the source of the noise. Some had a wild look on their face, as if afraid that there was fire or something. Seeing none, a look of confusion dawned on their faces before they drifted back to dreamland again.

"Ronald!" Ginny and Luna hissed in unison. "You almost woke up everyone in the room," Luna continued, looking at her boyfriend disapprovingly.

Ron smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I was just ecstatic."

Harry laughed softly and shook his head. He then looked at the conscious Hermione who was smiling at them.

"Are you all right now, Hermione?" Harry asked quite loudly.

The Gryffindor brunette placed one finger against her lips and then pointed it towards her sleeping boyfriend.

Beside him, Ginny released a huge sigh. "I told him to sleep in the Heads' Dormitory last night," she said, frowning at the sleeping blond. "I guess he still hadn't followed me."

The four approached the brunette's bed.

Ron released a huge sigh. "Thank Merlin you're all right now, Hermione," he said. "You really made us worried, you know."

"Are you all right now?" Luna asked, smiling at the Head Girl.

Hermione closed her eyes and released a soft sigh. "Now that you asked it Luna," she said in a soft, weak whisper, "I honestly still feel quite sore and weak." She then opened her eyes and looked from one student to another. "What happened to me anyway?"

"You were unconscious for three days, Hermione," Harry answered him, sitting on the brunette's bed.

The Gryffindor brunette's jaw dropped. "Three days?!" she exclaimed weakly. "Are you serious?!"

"Yes we are," Ginny answered her. The she-Weasley placed a hand on Hermione's head and patted it gently. "You really made us worried you know."

"Explain to me everything, please," the brunette said, eyes gazing at the sleeping blond.

"Well…" Harry started, "after the war ended - ."

"Hold it," Hermione said, immediately stopping Harry. "Who won in the war?"

Amazing Hermione, all four of them gave her big smiles at the same time. "Us," they said again in unison.

The brunette returned their smiles. "That's good to hear," she said, closing her eyes because of exhaustion. "It's finally done."

"As I was saying," Harry continued. "After the war ended, we just found you on Draco's arms."

"He looked quite wild that time, I tell you," Ron interrupted. "His look was quite scary. Almost haunted."

Hermione frowned at Ron. "Continue, Harry," the brunette said.

"So, we brought you here in the infirmary so that Madam Pomfrey can check your injuries," the dark-haired boy continued as he fixed his spectacles.

"You received a pretty big bump on your head, Hermione," Ginny added.

"So, that's the reason why my head kind of feel heavy," she answered, gently patting her own head with her right hand.

"And, you received consecutive Cruciatus Curse while you were unconscious," Luna followed, shaking her head. "Madam Pomfrey told us that you were lucky you were still alive and not…."

"Dead?" Hermione continued. She noticed the flinch of the other four students. The brunette bit her bottom lip. "I almost… died?"

"You can say that," Harry answered her in a whisper. "But luckily, you didn't."

"Thank Merlin," Ron implored.

"Did you know that you were almost hit by the Memory Charm?" the she-Weasley asked.

Hermione gasped. "I did?" She couldn't believe it.

Ginny nodded. "You see, Draco fought with his aunt, Bellatrix Lestrange," she continued. "Bellatrix knew that he was having a relationship with you… a Muggle-born and that enraged the ex-convict. Because of anger, she tried to hit you with the Memory Charm. Multiple times, I tell you. But" – the redhead looked at the sleeping Slytherin – "I guess he was determined not to make you forget us… him."

Silence was followed after Ginny's little speech. Hermione continued to run her hand through Draco's blond, soft hair. She could tell that he was quite comfortable with her little gesture since he released some satisfied sighs in his sleep.

"Is everyone all right in the Order?" Hermione asked, breaking the silence.

Ron nodded. "Yeah, though some were injured," he said. "But, no one was really injured badly. Actually, you were the only member of the Order who was unconscious for three days."

Hermione released a soft laugh.

"By the way, Fred and George are sending you their love," Ginny added, producing a small paper bag. "They told me this 'Get well soon, Head Girl'."

The brunette eyed the paper bag suspiciously. "I have a bad feeling that won't help me at all," she said.

Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Luna only laughed at Hermione's comment.

The dark-haired Gryffindor then released a sigh. "Well, then, we've got to go, Hermione," Harry said. "Professor McGonagall was summoning us. We just planned to visit you before we go to her office." He then stood up from her bed. "Goodbye, Hermione. Get well soon, okay?"

"I will," she answered Harry with a small smile.

"Get well soon, Hermione," Luna said, giving her a lovely smile which the brunette returned. "You're very luckily because Flibbertigibbets haven't bothered you at all while you were unconscious."

The other four students looked at the Ravenclaw strangely while she just innocently stared back.

"Flibbertigibbets?" Harry whispered to the he-Weasley which Hermione perfectly heard. "What the hell is that?"

The brunette softly laughed while Ron rolled his eyes. "You know, Harry, no need to ask me because you very well know that she _is _Luna Lovegood."

"Remind me again why you asked her out?" The-Boy-Who-Lived asked while frowning at the redhead.

"Because," he tiredly started, "for some strange reason, I like her. A lot."

Hermione gave him an approving smile. "I thought you were being summoned by Professor McGonagall?" she reminded them.

"Oh, yeah," Harry said, giving Hermione one last wave. "We're going to return later and visit you again, Hermione. And, do this for me, all right? Whack Draco's head for worrying too much for you. I told him you'll be all right since you are a tough girl."

The brunette softly chuckled. "I will," she said. "Now, off you go. I know that you don't want to face Professor McGonagall's wrath. You know here. She hates tardiness ever since she was born."

With that, Harry walked out of the infirmary followed by Ron and the redhead's girlfriend. Ginny, surprising Hermione, stayed behind.

"Aren't you coming with them, Gin?" the brunette asked.

Ginny grinned and leaned down a little towards Hermione. "Your bloody boyfriend was the one who was most worried with you, 'Mione. I'm telling the truth. He almost didn't eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Hell, he even almost didn't take a bath!" Ginny paused as she released a small laugh. "Luckily, we were sensible enough." The redhead then stared at the sleeping Head Boy and shook her head. "Once he wake up, prepare for his wrath, m'kay?" And with that, the Gryffindor she-Weasley followed the others.

Once she was gone, Hermione laughed to herself and shook her head. "Silly Ginny," she murmured under her breath. She then looked at Draco and decided to wake him up. "Draco," she said, shaking him awake. "Wake up, Draco."

The blond swatted her hand away. "Leave me alone," he murmured.

Hermione softly giggled. "Come on, dragon, wake up," she continued. "Rise and shine." She bent down and kissed the top of his head. "Wake up, dragon."

"Let me sleep, Hermione," Draco muttered. After that, everything was silent.

The Head Girl sighed and lied down on her bed again. _'He might be really tired,' _she thought. _'I might as well let him sleep.'_

When Hermione's eyes were slowly drifting shut, Draco snapped awake. His head shot up and he looked at Hermione, bewildered. The brunette released a soft squeak because of surprise and stared, wide-eyed, at the already conscious blond. Slowly, she sat up again. She watched as Draco blinked several times and his jaw dropped as he stared at the awakened brunette. And then, quite suddenly, she was enveloped in his arms.

"You're awake! You're awake!" he exclaimed, tightening his hug. "Are you all right, Hermione? Do you feel any… any pain?! Tell me! Tell me!"

The brunette released a soft giggle as she pulled away from Draco to stare at him. "I feel quite sore and weak," she answered him. "But… I feel fine now. Perfectly fine."

Draco released a low growl and glared at Hermione. "Did you know that you made me worried, you bloody woman?!" he exclaimed.

Hermione made a small smile. "I'm sorry," she said in a whisper followed by a small yawn. "I didn't mean to."

The blond then lied her down on her bed again. "All right, all right," he grumbled. "I'm going to scold you once you got your goodnight sleep."

The brunette rubbed her right eye. "It's not yet night," she said with a frown. "And I don't want to go to sleep anymore. I want to talk to you."

"About?" Draco asked, now sitting down on her bed.

The Head Girl bit her bottom lip. "I… I don't know," she whispered. She shifted slightly on her bed and sighed. "So I was unconscious for three days, huh?"

Draco nodded his head.

She raised her hand to place it on Draco's cheek. "I'm sorry," she said again, rubbing her thumb against his cheek. "I didn't mean to make you worry for me. I'm sorry."

The blond sighed and kissed her palm. He brushed away her bangs from her forehead. "Those three days were quite scary, Hermione," he told her. "I was afraid that you will leave me all alone."

Hermione just kept silent and urged him to continue.

"I also almost thought that you will forget us," he continued in a soft whisper. "Aunt Bella really tried hard to hit you with her Memory Charm so that you will forget me, you know."

The brunette pulled Draco down so now, he was lying beside her with his head buried at the crook of her neck. "I'm sorry," she said again.

Draco just snuggled against her neck and closed her eyes. He had to admit. He had missed her badly. Now that she was awake, Draco's heart soared high. A soft sigh escaped from his lips as her arms wrapped themselves around him.

"Draco," she whispered.

"Yeah?"

"I had a bad dream. A nightmare," the brunette continued in a soft voice.

"What nightmare?" he asked, lips quirking up as he felt her kissing the top of his head.

"I want to forget it but I can't," she said, eyes drifting shut again. "It was the worst nightmare I ever had in my whole life. And quite weird, too."

"What's it about?" he asked, eyes gazing up at his girlfriend. "Tell me what it's about. Maybe it can calm you down."

Hermione made a small smile and stared down at him. "I dreamed about my Hogwarts life from first year to seventh year."

"Am I there, too?" he asked hopefully. He just wanted her to dream of him because honestly, at night, his dreams were always about her.

The brunette released a soft chuckle. "Yes, yes, you were there, don't worry," she assured him. "But" – her smile turned into a small frown – "you… you were different from who you are right now."

"How so?" he asked.

Hermione sighed. "You love me now, don't you?" she asked in a little voice.

Draco kissed her neck. "Of course I do," he answered her. "And you love me, too."

The brunette smiled. "True," she continued. "But in my dream… nightmare, rather, you hate me."

The blond gasped. "I do?" he asked in disbelief. "Impossible. Utterly impossible."

"But you do," she continued. "You hate me. My mere presence disgusted you." Hermione closed her eyes and emitted a soft sigh. Draco kissed her neck again for comfort, making her smile. "I hate you in my nightmare, too, do you know that?"

He shook his head.

"I hated you because you ridiculed me," she continued. "I remembered the way I reacted every time you insult Harry, Ron, and me. We always fight every time we had the opportunity. Quite funny, if you ask me."

"Quite scary, if you ask me," Draco said, a look of confusion and irritation evident on his face. "Why the bloody burning hell did you dream of that, Hermione? It's giving me goosebumps already."

The brunette chuckled softly. "Thank Merlin it was only a nightmare, Draco," Hermione said. "Nothing's really scary with my dream. I just call it a nightmare since all the things that I do not want to happen in my real life _happened _in my dream."

"So…" the blond started slowly, "tell me about this Draco Malfoy in your nightmare."

"You'd rather not discover it," she assured him, shaking her head against her pillow.

"Really?" he asked, raising one eyebrow up. "I don't care. Just tell me."

Hermione sighed. "Okay," she told him and then closed her eyes as she tried to imagine and remember the Draco Malfoy in her nightmare. "In my dream, you were the most despicable man I had ever met in my whole life. I hated you until the very last nerve endings in my body because you always find excuses to insult me. You hurt Harry and Ron. You hurt me. You hurt all the people whom you think were inferior to you. You were practically having some attitude issues in my dream, Draco. You have this superiority complex. And you were so egotistical. Utterly, truly, certainly egotistical. Every time I come near, you will brag about things. You're the typical Slytherin that I hate. Mr. King-of-the-World, Holier-Than-Thou, I-Am-the-Almighty-Therefore-Fear-me, and lastly, I-am-the-Best-Because-I-Am-a-Pureblood-Freak. He was the complete opposite of what you are right now… the complete opposite of who you are right now. You break girls' hearts. You trample every Mudblood's dignity. You blast off boys' egos. And to be honest, you resemble the Dark Lord himself." The brunette ended her description with a small laugh as she slowly opened her eyes to stare at the Slytherin. And to her surprise, Draco was looking at her with a horrified look on his face.

"No way," he said, finally composing himself. His eyes were still showing horrification.

"Yes way," the brunette said, sighing. "I honestly thought that that nightmare was really real." Hermione slightly shivered. "I'm thankful it's not."

Draco then slowly pouted (adorably, in Hermione's opinion). "Am I really that… bad?" he asked her in a low whisper.

"Actually," Hermione started, giving him a small smile, "'bad' is an understatement for all the things that you had done in my dream."

"Damn it, Hermione," the blond said. "That dream of yours is not funny at all. It's really not funny at all."

"That's not the worst part, Draco," she continued in a whisper.

Draco gulped. He didn't know if he wanted to know it or not. "What?" he softly asked.

Hermione closed her eyes and sighed. "You're my murderer," she softly said. "You killed me in the war."

The blond gasped and covered both of his ears. "Stop it now, Granger. I don't want to hear your dream anymore," he grumbled under his breath.

The brunette sighed again and ran her right hand through his hair. "See, even you think it's a nightmare," she said.

"You must have felt horrible," he murmured, kissing her jaw.

"I'm going to forget it, I swear," she reassured him, this time, kissing his forehead.

Draco sighed as he held her tighter to himself.

"There's something weird I dreamt of again," she suddenly said.

The blond groaned. "I'd rather not hear it," he grumbled under his breath.

Hermione chuckled. "No, don't worry, it's not a nightmare," she reassured him. "It's a dream that made me curious after I saw it."

Draco looked at her curiously.

"Well," she started, knowing that he wouldn't cut her off anymore, "I dreamt of a little boy. He has blond hair, mind you. Almost as blond as your hair. I know he's adorable, I greatly feel it. And we always meet in this bench… our meeting place as what he fondly calls it. And for some strange reason, my heart swells because of care every time I see this little boy. And, by the way, he has the cutest laugh in the whole wide world. But the problem" – here, she frowned – "is his face was blurred. So, actually, I haven't seen his face at all."

The blond looked thoughtful. "That was a weird dream," he told her. "I agree with you."

Hermione smiled. "I want to know who this little boy in my dream is, Draco," she continued. "Someday, I'm going to find out who he is."

Draco smiled. "I know you will," he told her. "You're an intelligent witch after all."

The brunette chuckled. "Yeah."

"MR. MALFOY!"

Both students flinched in surprise. Again, some patients in the infirmary snapped awake as they stared at Madam Pomfrey, wide-eyed.

"No, go back to sleep," she snapped to the other patients which they hastily did, not wanting to be scolded by the Hogwarts witch.

Madam Pomfrey's eyes then landed themselves on the blond (who was feeling quite scared, as much as he wanted to deny it, since he buried his face at the crook of his girlfriend's neck. Hermione, not helping it, softly laughed to herself). Her eyes instantly narrowed into thin slits.

"Please don't let her kill me," he softly pleaded to the laughing Gryffindor brunette. "I'm too young to die."

"What are you doing on Miss Granger's bed?!" she asked him, hands both placed on her hips. "You very well know that that's against the rules!" She swatted Draco's back. "Up! Up! Up!"

Hermione started to laugh a little louder. "Just… just follow her, Draco," she told him in between gasps of laughter. The blond glared at his girlfriend as he stood up with a frown on his face.

"Now, out, out, OUT!" Madam Pomfrey shrieked, swatting the blond's back again.

"Ow, ow, ow, old woman! I'm going out already!" he exclaimed.

"Draco, be nice!" the brunette scolded, though, she was still laughing.

"I allowed you to sleep here for three nights already, Mister Malfoy," Madam Pomfrey continued. "It's the first time I allowed a student to do that. Now that Miss Granger is awake, there's no point in letting you sleep here again. Out! Out! OUT!"

"All right, I will, I will!" he exclaimed in frustration. He hastily went towards the brunette and bent down to give her a kiss on the lips. "I promise I'll come back soon," he murmured against her lips before pulling away from her. "Though, not tonight. I think it will be best to cool down the raging fire."

Hermione rolled her eyes but laughed nonetheless. She watched as Draco walked out of the infirmary before turning back to the still hyperventilating Hospital Wing nurse. "How are you, Madam Pomfrey?" she politely asked her as he watched her selecting some potions from one of the cabinets. Hermione grimaced. The potions would probably be drunk by her.

Madam Pomfrey sighed. "Ah, dear child," she told her tiredly, finally calming down, as she selected the right potions. She walked beside Hermione's bed and placed the tray of potions on her nightstand. "This is the most tiring time of my life. I've got to attend to a lot of patients here. I knew it! I asked Albus to hire one more person to help me here in the infirmary but he won't listen to me at all." She uncorked one vial and gently forced Hermione to drink it. She watched as the Head Girl made a face while gulping its contents. "Actually, Miss Granger, you're my patient who received one or two guests every other minute."

"Really?" the brunette asked as she blinked at the infirmary nurse.

She nodded, offering Hermione a small smile. "And I was right when I told you that Mister Malfoy slept here for three nights," she told him. "He's a fool, that young man. I told him not to worry because you are perfectly fine already. But he didn't listen to me!"

Hermione softly chuckled. "I'm going to apologize to you, Madam Pomfrey, in behalf of the Head Boy," she told. "I'm quite sorry because he was bothering you. Draco's really like that. Stubborn and all. I'm sorry."

Madam Pomfrey sighed. "Oh, don't apologize to me, dear Miss Granger, I perfectly understand Mister Malfoy's actions." She shook her head and stood up. "Young love, it's always the sweetest, if you ask me. He's a lucky man for having you, Miss Granger."

The brunette slightly blushed as she smiled at the nurse's compliment. "Anyway," Madam Pomfrey started, "I'm going to leave you now, Miss Granger. Drink some of the potions again after two hours. Am I making myself clear?"

"Yes, Madam Pomfrey," Hermione told her as she watched her disappear behind her office door.

Hermione sighed and closed her eyes. A contented smile was playing on her lips as she shifted on her bed and faced the right direction. She was surprised to feel something soft brushing against her cheek. The brunette opened her eyes and a soft giggle emitted itself from her mouth. Mr. Beady was staring back at her. The brunette noticed a small note attached to it. She removed it from him and opened the letter.

_Dearest, _(Hermione snorted. It was from Draco. And she perfectly told him not to call her 'dearest'!)

_Mr. Beady will be right beside you until tomorrow. I made him swear to protect you until I come back again. Don't worry, he promised me. _

_Love of your life _(Again, Hermione snorted.)

The brunette rolled her eyes as she closed the letter and slipped it inside her pocket. She smiled as she pulled Mr. Beady towards her. The brunette sniffed. She caught a whiff of Draco's cologne. Hermione snuggled against the soft head of the teddy bear and closed her eyes again. Soon, she drifted off into dreamland.

**

* * *

**Merlin stared down at his cauldron with a smile on his face. Their plan succeeded thankfully. Hermione Granger finally was in a world and in a time where she should be happy. The old wizard sighed. He had to admit, he missed this brunette. He was quite shocked when Fate ordered him to obliviate the brunette's memories of the time when fate was messed up if she wished to go back to time where Mr. Malfoy's fate was fixed. It saddened him because the times when she was with him would soon be forgotten. But of course, it was an order so he had to follow it. It made him quite happy, though, because finally… finally, what she was yearning for was finally reachable. Finally, she was happy and contented.

"Ah, I see that she is happy already."

The old wizard smiled and looked up as he gazed at the beautiful creature in front of him. "Indeed, Fate," he told her as he watched her elegantly glide towards the cauldron. She peered inside it and smiled.

Fate was a beautiful creature in a woman's body. She was wearing a white dress that ended just below her knee. Vines were wrapped around her body with green leaves. And to complete it all, a crown of leaves and flowers that was bewitched to live forevermore was adorning her wavy, flowing black hair that fell gently down her shoulders. An ethereal glow was being released by the somewhat 'goddess' as she sat down beside the old wizard.

"Forgive me, Merlin," beautiful Fate continued. "I know that Miss Granger became dear to your heart and it pains you because she has forgotten all the things that had happened between you and her for three weeks. But it has to be this way, Merlin. Please understand that. Draco Malfoy's fate is finally fixed. Hermione Granger is finally the most important person in his life. Everything is fixed again."

"I know that, Fate," Merlin said followed by a soft sigh. "Yes, I'm sad. She was like a daughter to me already. But, every time I watch how she lovingly gazes at him, my sadness immediately disappears. At least, she is happy already."

"Quite true," Fate said, gently nodding her head as she slowly smiled. Her eyes sparkled as she watched the sleeping brunette who kept on murmuring her lover's name. "It's nice to be loved, isn't it?" she suddenly asked him, her eyes still gazing at the cauldron.

"Yes, yes, it is," the old wizard answered her. "And it will be nicer if the love of a man is being reciprocated."

Fate's smile immediately disappeared as she averted her eyes away from the cauldron towards nowhere. They were currently staying in a beautiful place… a beautiful garden where every kind of flower was found always blooming. "Yes, quite right," she softly answered, though, her smile wasn't seen anymore and her eyes lost their spark.

Merlin sighed and shook his head. For him, Fate was like his daughter already. And, when he was spending most of his time with Hermione, he couldn't help but see Fate in her. So, seeing his 'daughter' so forlorn right now made him sad, too. "Did you already discover who the culprit was?" he asked.

"Cupid," she automatically said, the tone of her voice unfeeling.

The old wizard looked at Fate incredulously. "Cupid?" he asked disbelievingly. "Cupid is a very nice young man, Fate. Why did he mess up Mr. Malfoy's documents... Mr. Malfoy's fate?"

Fate sighed and ran a hand through her glorious black hair. "Cupid was trying to impress me again, Merlin," she softly told the old wizard. "He was trying to help me when I was fixing some of my files. But instead of helping, he messed up some files. Unfortunately, it was Mr. Malfoy's."

"Fate…"

She shook her head. "We've talked about this before, Merlin," she told him, quite frustrated. "And like what I had answered before, it will always be a 'no'."

"Cupid had courted you for years and years now, Fate," Merlin started, despite her protest. "Why don't you accept his proposal of marriage, then?"

"You know the answer," she told him, eyes now gazing on the ground.

"Of course I know," he told her. "But Fate, listen to me. I will give you a fatherly advice even if I am not your father. Don't reject someone who you know will love you most ardently."

"Merlin, please…"

"Fate, I know what your heart tells you," Merlin said, pointing his wand (which miraculously appeared out of nowhere) towards her heart. "You are lucky because you have a heart, Fate." He sighed and shook his head. "I once loved a woman when I was still alive and I regret it because I haven't told her."

"But, Merlin…"

"I know you love him, too," he softly told her, holding Fate's right hand to gave it a gentle squeeze. "Accept his proposal and be Cupid's wife. He is a good creature. One of the best… god I had ever met in my whole life. I know he will give you happiness. I see it in his eyes when he looks at you, my dear Fate. I see it in his eyes when he looks at you with love clouding his eyes. And, I tell you, that is how you look at him, too."

"Destiny loves him, Merlin, you know that," Fate said. "As her sister, it's my responsibility, too, to make her happy. Marrying Cupid will break her heart."

"But you love Cupid," Merlin pointed out.

"I do. I promise I do," Fate said, almost tearfully. "But I love my sister, too." And with that, she stood up. Merlin caught sight of a tear slipping down from his dear 'daughter's' right eye.

The old wizard shook his head. He wished that like his dear Miss Granger, Fate would soon be happy, too.

**

* * *

**_June 20, 1998 (Graduation Day; Graduation Ball)_

Draco gave her a charming smile as he held her right arm. He twirled her around until they reached the dance floor. A new song was already starting.

The blond bent down and kissed her palm. "May I have this dance, Hermione?" he asked his girlfriend, eyes gleaming.

Hermione rolled her eyes but chuckled nonetheless. "Do I have any choice?" she asked him as he wrapped her arms around his neck and placed his arms around her waist. He briefly leaned his forehead against hers before gently kissing it and burying his face among her brown tresses.

It was their Graduation Day… their Graduation Ball… their last day. And now, the girl wrapped around his arms was looking so beautiful right now, making Draco think he was the luckiest man alive in the whole wide world.

_**Every now and then  
We find a special friend  
Who never lets us down**_

The brunette was wearing a green, beautiful dress that modestly ended just a few inches above her knees. Draco smirked. Of course he knew the vow she made (the one which she promised that she wouldn't wear a dress that would expose her knees), thanks to Ginny Weasley. And it pleased him she at least broke it today (since she was looking so good and all). Her hair was gently swaying against her shoulders. That was what Draco wanted… he didn't want her hair tied up or anything. He wanted it down - long, curly, smooth brown hair – because he always wanted to run his hands through his hair (which he was doing right now).

He gave her a kiss on the cheek as she gently sighed against the crook of his neck.

_**Who understands it all  
Reaches out each time you fall  
You're the best friend that I've found**_

"Hermione?" he softly sighed. The brunette pulled away from him, looking at his eyes with a curious look on her face.

"Yes, Draco?" she asked him, her lips forming into a small smile. The blond just blinked and continued to stare at her, his lips unconsciously forming into a small smile again.

"Nothing."

_**I know you can't stay  
A part of you will never ever go away  
Your heart will stay**_

"Draco?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think they will last?" the brunette asked as she looked at the direction of the dancing Ron with his beloved Luna trapped in between his arms.

Draco softly chuckled to himself as he tightened his arms around her. "For some strange reason," he started, his eyes averting themselves away from the dancing couple towards his girlfriend's brown eyes, "my answer is a yes."

Hermione nodded in agreement. "Look at how Ron looks at her," she added in a whisper. "When we were going out, Ron never looked at me like that. Luna looks like she's Ron's most prized treasure."

_**I'll make a wish for you  
And hope it will come true  
That life would just be kind  
To such a gentle mind**_

"How about them?" the blond asked. "Will they last?" His eyes were now trained towards his other best friend, the great Harry Potter himself, and his girlfriend in his arms.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Of course they will. Ginny was in love with Harry ever since she laid eyes on him. Harry was in love with Ginny ever since the start of our sixth year. They'd known each other for years, Draco. They know what each other like and dislike. They're practically a perfect couple."

Draco nodded in agreement. "Quite true," he told her.

_**If you lose your way  
Think back from yesterday  
Remember me this way  
Remember me this way  
Hmm……….. this way**_

They continued to sway on the dance floor, now, oblivious to the other students dancing with them. They listened to the music for a while, and to Draco's surprise, Hermione was humming with the song.

"You know that song?" he asked her, still bewildered.

Hermione looked at Draco incredulously. "Draco, you've heard of this song, too, you know," she reminded him.

"Really?" he asked, confused.

"Casper," she simply told him and realization immediately dawned to the blond.

"Oh, the funny-looking ghost?" he asked for confirmation.

Hermione frowned at him. "The adorable-looking ghost, actually," she corrected him.

_**I don't need eyes to see  
The love you bring to me  
No matter where I go**_

"What will you do after we graduate?" the brunette asked.

Draco rolled his eyes. They'd been talking about their future careers before. Of course she already knew and he already knew what both of them wanted to be once they grow up. But he answered her nonetheless and looked down at her. "Oh, you know," he told her. "I want exciting adventures. I want to feel my adrenaline rushing and all. I want to feel some excitement."

Hermione sighed. She knew it. "For short, you want to be an Auror," she told him with a disapproving look on her face.

The Head Boy scowled. "Oh, don't look at me like that, Hermione," he told her. "You very well know that I want to be an Auror once I graduated from Hogwarts."

The brunette sighed again. "Just like Harry and Ron."

Draco smiled this time. "Yeah, just like Harry and Ron."

_**And I know that you'll be there  
Forever more apart of me, you're everywhere  
I'll always care**_

"You, what will you do after we graduate?" the blond asked even though he already knew what she wanted to do.

Hermione smiled. "I'll apply to St. Mungo's and be Healer," she answered him.

Draco snorted and rolled his eyes. "Why don't you be an Auror, too, like me… us?" he asked her. "We've talked about this before, Hermione, and I still don't know why you wanted to be a Healer."

The brunette looked up at him and gave him a brief peck on the lips. "You want to know?" she murmured.

The blond nodded.

"Because," she started, "if the three of you were injured badly because of a mission given to the three of you as Aurors, I'll be the one who'll heal you."

Draco blinked at his girlfriend. Then suddenly, he chuckled. "I see your point," he told her.

_**I'll make a wish for you  
And hope it will come true  
That life would just be kind  
To such a gentle mind**_

Hermione shifted in Draco's arms. She traveled her arms down to his waist and wrapped them around him. The blond chuckled and removed his arms from her waist. Instead, he wrapped both of them on her shoulders. From the looks of it, they weren't dancing anymore. They were hugging already.

"Draco?" she softly asked, eyes closed.

"Hmmm?" he asked, his cheek resting against the top of his head.

"What about us?" she whispered. "Do you think we will last?"

_**If you lose your way  
Think back from yesterday  
Remember me this way  
Remember me this way**_

Draco looked down at the brunette, quite surprised. "Why are you asking me that kind of question?" he asked her.

The brunette looked up at him, a small frown gracing her red lips. "I… just want to know," she told him softly. "So, Draco, answer me, do you think we will last?"

_**And I'll be right behind your shoulder watching you  
I'll be standing by your side and all you do  
And I won't ever leave****  
As long as you believe  
You just believe**_

The blond looked thoughtful for a moment. Yes, he had answered her question if Harry's and Ron's relationships with their girlfriends would last almost immediately. But asking her if _they _would last made him think for a few moments. He was aware of the holes that Hermione was burning through his head already but he ignored them completely.

'_Will we last?' _he asked, remembering the times they had spent with each other. Draco closed his eyes. Almost everyday, she was with him, laughing at his jokes, teaching him some difficult assignments, scolding him for being a bad, bad, boy… just spending time with him. She'd spent more time with him than any people in the whole school (which made him feel quite special).

But, will they last? Draco remembered the time when he finally realized that he was in love with Hermione Granger. He remembered how he suddenly felt when he realized that Hermione past was right – he didn't love her at all. Hermione past was right because someday, he would meet someone whom he would cherish more than anything else here in this world. And so, as he gazed down at his girlfriend, eyes shining with love, he smiled.

"Draco?" she asked, feeling quite uncomfortable and scared because he was still not answering her question.

"You know the answer already, Hermione," he softly told her. "Of course we will last."

And, she gave him a big, wide smile.

_**I'll make a wish for you  
And hope it will come true  
That life would just be kind  
To such a gentle mind**_

The blond sighed, slightly feeling nervous already. The song was about to end. He had planned to do this a _year _after their graduation. _'But, why not now?' _he asked himself, absentmindedly kissing the top of her head. _'It will still be the same.' _

Inside his pocket, he felt a small bump brushing itself against his leg.

_**And if you lose your way  
Think back from yesterday  
Remember me this way  
Remember me this way**_

"Hermione?"

"Yeah?" she asked him.

"Let's go to our bench," he softly told her.

"All right," she answered him while making a small smile.

As the song ended, Draco grasped the brunette's right hand and led her towards their bench near the Hogwarts Lake. He sat her down on the bench while he himself sat down beside her.

"Why are we here?" she asked him.

Draco shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know," he told her softly. "I just think that we should visit this place since we're about to leave Hogwarts. You have to admit that this place has a special meaning between us, Hermione."

"Yeah," the brunette said, stretching her arms above her head. "Actually, this is my most favorite place in the whole school."

The blond then watched as she stood up and hastily removed her high-heeled shoes. "What are you doing?" he asked her as Hermione immediately dipped her feet in the water of the Hogwarts Lake. The Giant Squid intently stared at them, eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

Hermione turned to look at her boyfriend, mirth evident in her eyes. "It's funny to think that we never went near this lake, Draco. We had been visiting that bench… _our _bench, but we never even thought of at least dipping our feet into the water." A small sigh escaped her lips as she stared at the Lake. "Feels quite nice."

Draco chuckled to himself and stood up as he slowly walked towards the beautiful brunette. The sun was almost setting, he had noticed, and nervousness bubbled inside his stomach again. He had to think of a plan… and damn fast! He had never thought of a plan because, again, he had planned to do _it _next year.

Desperation started to form inside him. His eyes looked around wildly, formulating a plan inside his buzzing mind. Suddenly, out of desperation, he pushed Hermione towards the lake until… _splash! _She fell inside the lake.

A loud screech emitted itself from the brunette's mouth as she emerged at the surface of the lake. She was wet from head-to-toe. And to Draco's delight, her dress was clinging to her body already. Immediately, her eyes landed themselves towards the softly laughing blond. "THAT'S NOT FUNNY!" she exclaimed, eyes instantly narrowing into thin slits.

Draco's laugh grew as he removed his shoes and socks. He also removed his black dress robe, revealing his black slacks and buttoned-up white shirt underneath it. "Here I come!" he exclaimed before gracefully diving into the lake. He did a few strokes hither and thither before wrapping an arm around his still fuming girlfriend. "That was fun," he said, still softly laughing to himself.

"You bloody git," she muttered, lips turning into a frown as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Why the hell did you do that?"

He kissed the side of her head and gave her a charming smile. "It really feels nice here," he murmured softly, lips traveling down from her forehead towards her cheek, and then to her jaw.

Hermione released a soft sigh as she closed her eyes, arms tightening themselves around his neck. Her ring gleamed as she slightly shifted her arms around his neck. "Let's go back and dry ourselves, okay?" she told him. "Harry and Ron might be looking for us right now."

"Oh, forget them," he told her, lips now pressed against the corner of her mouth. "Who cares about them anyway?" And with that, he captured her lips with his own.

Draco tightened his hold, oblivious to the fact that the Giant Squid was slightly moving towards them to get a closer look. Truly, this creature had been fascinated with these two students. He was the only living being in the whole school who had watched the love story between Hermione and Draco developing as years passed by. As discreetly as he could, the Giant Squid submerged his body into the water, not wanting to bother the… _busy _students.

The Gryffindor was the one who broke their kiss. Instead, she pressed her lips against his cheek up to his left ear. And then, she softly giggled as she smoothed out his rather disheveled hair. "Really, Draco, let's go back now," she told him.

The blond sighed and ran a hand through Hermione's hair. "You asked me a question a while ago, didn't you?" he said.

"What question?" she asked, playing with his necklace.

"The one you asked me about us… if we will last," he made her remember.

Realization dawned on Hermione as she slowly smiled and looked at him. "Yeah, what about it?" she asked him.

Draco removed his right arm from her waist. And then, he held her right hand where the beautiful ring he had given here was found. "See this?" he told her as he kissed the ring, eyes not averting themselves away from the brunette. "When I gave you this, it meant that I won't let you go at all."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "As if I'm going anywhere," she softly told him.

"This is a symbol which means you are mine, of course," he told her. "But Hermione… I think I'm ready."

"To what?" she asked him while frowning. "Honestly, Draco, just get to the point. You're making me nervous, you know."

"I'm ready," he repeated, right hand rummaging inside his pocket to retrieve the precious ring. He pulled his hand out of his pocket, revealing Hermione the ring he was faithfully carrying in his pocket ever since he bought it last summer.

Hermione eyed it, softly chuckling to herself. "Did she give that one to you, too?" she asked him.

"Who?" Draco asked her, confusion evident on his face.

The brunette looked confused, too. "Umm… _her_. The girl who gave you this ring." She lifted up her right hand where her ring was slightly glimmering. "Did she give that ring to you, too?"

Draco chuckled, shaking his head. "Nope," he lightly told her.

"Oh," she said, now positively frowning. "Does that mean something also?"

The blond grinned, lifting up her hand to kiss her palm. "Yes," he softly said, urging her to continue. She was almost there.

Hermione's frown turned into a grin. "Really? What does it mean now?" she asked him, eyeing the beautiful ring (a beautiful gold one with a gleaming diamond) with interest.

Draco sighed, slight irritation evident on his face. "Are you being dense or what?" he asked her.

The brunette looked at him innocently. "What are you talking about, Draco?"

"I'm going to say something that will surprise you, Hermione," he gently warned her, eyes searching her eyes.

Hermione just blinked at him, lips slowly changing into a frown again.

"Marry me." There, he had said it. Finally, he had said it. At least he had said it now before waiting for another year. It would be quite hard to muster courage if he asked her next year, if you asked him.

The brunette's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. She blinked five times before finding her voice again. "E-excuse me?" she asked. Draco could practically hear the astonishment in the tone of her voice.

"Marry me," Draco repeated softly, cupping her right cheek with his hand. He rubbed his thumb against her cheek. "Please, marry me, Hermione."

The brunette opened and closed her mouth, greatly resembling a goldfish out of water. "I… I don't know what to say," she truthfully told him.

The blond frowned. "You sound like you're hesitating," he softly told her, fear now slightly creeping towards his eyes.

Hermione saw it and immediately, she became alarmed. Of course she wanted to marry him! Who was she kidding if she said that she didn't want him to be the man who would forever spend the rest of his life with her? "But Draco…" she started, "we've only been going out for one and a half month."

"Hermione, we've know each other ever since first year!" he exclaimed, running a hand through his wet hair. "We've been friends… best friends! Are you afraid that I will just dump you like my past girlfriends? Hermione, wake up! Do you think I will hurt you?"

The brunette shook her head. Of course she knew he wouldn't hurt her. That was why she went out with him in the first place. "We're only seventeen," she continued.

"Don't get bothered by that age crap," he grumbled, gripping her right hand again. "So, please, please, please, Hermione. Marry me."

Hermione sighed. "My parents might not approve of our early marriage, Draco," she reminded him.

This time, the blond gave her a small smile. "I've asked for your hand from your parents already," he told her, surprising her greatly. "And thankfully, they approved of it. Whole-heartedly, mind you. Though, they know that I'll propose to you next year but… I think they will understand."

The brunette couldn't believe it. Her parents… her mommy and daddy had just surprised her because they approved of Draco's early marriage proposal! Of course she knew that Draco became dear to her parents already. They would treat him as their own son every time he would stay in their house in summer. But still…

Hermione sighed and looked at Draco, a small smile now forming on her face. "I can't answer, Draco," she told him softly, slight mischief faintly sparking in her eyes.

Draco looked exasperated. He threw his arms up into the air (not failing from splashing some water towards the brunette). "What now, Hermione?!" he cried, eyes wide because of fear and frustration.

The brunette softly chuckled to herself as she placed a brief kiss on his lips and forced his arms down. "How can I answer when you're not even asking any question, Draco?" she asked him.

The blond looked down at her and blinked several times. Slowly, he started to laugh. He laughed as he understood her point. He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist again (almost lifting her up) and buried his face against her hair. "Will you marry me, Hermione Jane Granger? I can't promise you anything because I'm afraid that I will break them and hurt you." He pulled his face away from her hair and looked down at her, love-rapture in his eyes. "But there are only two things that I can promise, Granger. My heart" – he placed her right hand against his chest where his heart was (just like what he did a few months ago) – "and my forever."

Tears formed at the corner Hermione's eyes as she smiled up at him. "Yes, yes, YES!" she exclaimed. "I'll marry you." She showered his face with sweet and gentle kisses, earning some soft chuckle from the blond.

Draco slipped her new ring into her finger and stared at his new fiancée. "I love you," he whispered, giving Hermione another brief kiss.

_SPLASH! SPLASH!_

The blond and Hermione looked up, surprised. Two heads emerged from the water, one with black hair and another with red hair.

"Sorry to break the moment between the two of you," Ron merrily said as he swam towards the couple, "but Harry and I are bloody bored. We might as well bother both of you."

"Ugh, Weasley!" Draco roared, eyes blazing because of irritation. "Get out of the water!" He glared at Harry. "You, too, Potter!"

"Aww," Harry said, whacking the back of Draco's head, earning a stern "Harry!" from Hermione. He looked from Draco to Hermione then back to Draco with a raised eyebrow. "What are you both doing here anyway? Think swimming with your formal clothes on than dancing inside the Great Hall, eh?"

Hermione chuckled and shook her head. "Whatever, Harry," she told the Gryffindor male.

"Yeah, Harry's right," Ron piped in, slinging an arm around Draco's shoulder. An impish, teasing smile grew on his face. "I have a huge suspicion that this _moment _between the two of you involve a ring and wedding bells."

Harry laughed, thinking Ron was just joking. Ron laughed, too, because he thought that his joke was quite funny.

Draco and Hermione, though, were looking at Ron incredulously.

"What?" the redhead asked, abruptly stopping his laughter.

"How did you know?" the blond asked, demanding for an answer.

Harry's and Ron's jaw dropped in unison. And then, suddenly, Hermione was being sandwiched between her boyfriend… her fiancé and Harry since the Gryffindor hugged her from behind because of happiness.

"Oh, we didn't know!" he exclaimed laughing as he tightened his hug. Since his arms were slightly long, he had reached the blond's shoulder and started to friendly pat it because of congratulation. "Nice one, mate. Nice one."

Draco grinned. "Thanks," he said.

"Gah," Hermione said, already gasping for air. "Can't breathe!"

Ron then wrapped his arms around the three, giving them a bone-crushing hug. Hermione gasped louder as air inside her body was starting to lack. "So, when's the wedding?" he merrily asked, tightening his hug.

Draco shrugged. "Dunno, maybe next year?" he said uncertainly.

"Please, for the love of Merlin, release me! NOW!" Hermione shrieked. All three boys… no, all three young men, the young men who were dear to her heart, looked down at her and gave her identical boyish smiles. They burst out into laughter as they continued to squeeze Hermione to death. Literally.

"Guys!" she shrieked, though, failing to contain her laughter. She laughed with them, arms still tightly wrapped around Draco.

_SNAP!_

The four blinked, momentarily blinded as they saw white, bright light.

"Great!" Ginny shrieked as she snatched the camera (Hermione's) away from Luna's hands.

The four best friends looked at the sixth year students (even though they weren't graduation, they still attended the ball since their boyfriends invited them).

"Ginny!" Hermione shrieked. "I told you not to touch my camera!"

"Sorry, Hermione," the she-Weasley said, giving her a cheeky grin.

"Now, boys, RELEASE!" the brunette ordered. "I can't breathe anymore!"

This time, Draco, Harry, and Ron obliged and immediately released Hermione from the super duper big bear hug. Hermione inhaled deeply. "Ah, air oh air."

The three boys laughed as Draco kissed Hermione's hair.

"Jump into the water!" Ron invited his sister and his girlfriend.

"Oh no," Ginny said stubbornly, shaking her head. "My dress and hair will be ruined. I've spent hours to fix them, Ronald."

_SPLASH!_

Luna had already jumped into the water and swam towards her boyfriend. "Come on, Ginevra!" she exclaimed.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Oh, all right," she said as she placed Hermione's camera on a stump and then jumped into the water.

The picture which Luna and Ginny had taken was soon developed and was now seen displayed on Hermione's photo album. And scribbled underneath it were the words, _'Happiness. Comfort… Love. They're all around me!' _

**THE END**

**

* * *

****Disclaimer: The song "Remember Me This Way" is not mine. Oh, and again, this song is sung in one of my favorite movies, Casper: The Friendly Ghost!**

**A/N: And, my dear readers, it's already time's up for Time's Up! Tell me if the ending sucks, okay? I'll say three announcements but before that, I would like to thank all of those who had reviewed this story. **

**I would like to thank (especially the underlined ones) **_**loony contortion woot; Saru 92; Stargirl; Euphoria123; **__**Friendorfoesnape**__**; **__**FireKisses**__**; **__**AnOrExIcFaTtY**__**; **__**RandomObsessivePsychoFangirl**__**; jessirose85; **__**PR Princess**__**; **__**TheCresentMoonWriter**__**; sweetsphyn; **__**Lya Darkfury**__**; Isadora120; **__**Gryfferin Princess**__**; blaire08; **__**My-Edward-1992**__**; Ms. Reinvented; Baby Dark; ; .x; GurloftheNight; Captain Severus Padfeet; Kat.1600; PymyPuff20; **__**Sagesther**__**; b-ballgurl2; FlamingSmoke; Anylnne; KibaIsHot; ellesra; malfoysgirl09; MalfoysBtch22; PinkMusicalCherry; honeymaid21; ixi-shaj; Eclipse; cristi08; jinx93; Crazy-Cullen; A Little Loony Love; Writer of Mysteries; whatifgirl; stargazer starluver; aquarius89; hiddenstarz; Esko Pa; just written; Umbridgeskitty; Auphora66; Ninja Nicole; Hermionexx77; Shadow Wars Warrior; darkcrystalwing; Blue-Stardust; Irmorena; bcain17; FantasiaInGreen; KimJo; lauredilian; Amane-Misa16; TwilightfanNO1; The Evil Sheep; SPIRITnJOY; **_**and…**_** Jazii26. **_**Whew, quite many but really, I thank all of you… again, especially those who were underlined. I know (and some of you know) that some people here only reviewed by story once but… who cares? All of you are still important to me :D**

**All right, for my first announcement, I posted a poll in my profile which is connected to Chapters 14 and 15 of TU! Go check it out and vote, okay? I'll be happy, happy, HAPPY!**

**My second announcement is this. I will try to end Princess in Disguise before the year ends. But, while doing this, I have good news and not really a bad news. The good news is that I will post another story! Yehey! Of course, it will still be under the category of Harry Potter. The not really bad news, though, is that it won't be a Dramione pair. Yeah, I know, all of my stories are all about our dear Draco and Hermione. So, in this new story, it would be a Draco/OC pair. Trust me, if I paired Hermione with Draco in my next story, it would ruin the whole plot. Just so you know, the new story is entitled as "Invulnerable Power". Again, this is a Draco/OC story but still, I'm begging to all of my dear readers, please support this also. **

**And lastly, my third announcement is all about this story's sequel. I know that some of you are persuading me to post it here. Some of you, though, wanted to first see the ending before you decide to let me post the sequel. Now that the ending is here, what do you think? Really, really, I'm quite hesitant in writing this sequel since the plot is kinda… disorganized and messy. But I already have an idea what to write on the first and last chapter. So, just so you know, I will post another poll in my profile maybe mid-December asking if you want Time's Up! to have a sequel. Just wait for it, okay? **

**Now, readers, I will end this rather long Author's Note. (Woah, it almost filled up one page in Microsoft Word). Anyway, that's it.**

**With love,  
2booklover4 xoxoxo**


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